Saturday - March 10, 2007

Most Ridiculous Item Of The Week

You’ve got to hand it to the Liberal, nanny-state government in Great Britain. They have outdone themselves this time. You see, they’re trying to get everyone in Britain to apply for and start carrying national ID cards ... which requires the applicant to submit to fingerprinting and tell the government all kinds of private information about oneself.

They have attempted to calm fears of Big Brother by clearly stating over and over that the new system is entirely voluntary. Now, here comes the punch line (stop me if you’ve heard this one before) --- if you opt out of the ID program then you cannot get a passport to travel abroad ... you must stay home and never go anywhere - not even to Euro-Disney World in France.

Don’t you just love it when our friends in Britain pull this off long before our own government pulls the same crap? If you don’t think the US Congress will try to pull off the same crap then you need your head examined - and that information will go on your “voluntary” national ID card someday.

Don’t Like ID Cards? Hand Over Your Passport
_{(DAILY MAIL-UK) - 23:09pm on 9th March 2007}

Anybody who objects to their personal details going on the new “Big Brother” ID cards database will be banned from having a passport. James Hall, the official in charge of the supposedly-voluntary scheme, said the Government would allow people to opt out - but in return they must “forgo the ability” to have a travel document.

With one in every eight people saying they will refuse to sign-up, up to five million adults could effectively be refused permission to leave the country. Campaigners reacted to Mr Hall’s remarks with fury, saying they were yet more evidence of the lurch towards “Big Brother” Britain.

Phil Booth, of the NO2ID group, said: “The idea that ID cards scheme is voluntary, and people can opt-out, is a joke. “There are all sorts of reasons why people need to travel, not just for holidays. There is work, visiting relatives.

“What are these people supposed to do? It stretches the definition of voluntary beyond breaking point. They will go to any length to get personal information for this huge database. Who knows what will happen to it then?”

Mr Hall, chief executive of the Identity and Passport Service, delivered his warning during a Downing Street “webchat”. One concerned member of the public, Andrew Michael Edwards, asked what would happen to people who refuse to join the £5.4 billion scheme.

Mr Hall replied: “There is no need to register and have fingerprints taken - but you will forgo the ability to have a passport”. Officials later explained the meaning of his remark. The first ID cards will be issued in 2009, to anybody who applies for a passport.

People will be required to give fingerprints, biometric details such as a facial scan and a wealth of personal details - including second homes, driving licence and insurance numbers. All will be stored on a giant ID cards Register, which can be accessed by accredited Whitehall departments, banks and businesses.

While The ID Cards Bill was going through Parliament, peers agreed an “opt out” with Ministers for people who needed a passport, but did not want to participate in the ID cards scheme.

It was the only way the Lords would accept the legislation, amid howls of concern that it represents yet another move towards a surveillance society. But, as Mr Hall’s comments this week make clear, the opt-out only applies to being physically issued with a card.

In order to get a passport, people will still have to hand over all their personal details for storage on the ID cards Register - where they will be treated in the same was as those who agreed to sign-up.

They simply avoid getting the card - even though they will have to pay the full combined price of £93 for an ID card and passport. It means that, despite the Government repeatedly insisting the scheme is voluntary, the only way to avoid signing-up is to never obtain or renew a passport.

Posted by The Skipper     on 03/10/2007 at 01:30 PM   
Filed Under: • EUro-peons •  
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