Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

571–580 of 809 posts

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#571

Post by octo888 »

robotresearcher wrote: post #492
ghusto wrote: post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Was reading through your post, finding it difficult to find fault with anything you were saying, but something wasn't sitting right. And then ... > I'm certain it's worked well in other countries It has! In the Netherlands for example, it's just an incredibly convenient system, and if there's anything dodgy going on I'm not aware of it. So what makes the UK so different to the Netherlands? Genuine question, because I…

Mandatory ID cards are a cultural no-no in the UK. They were required during WW2, then discontinued in peacetime. People burned them in the street. You are not required to show ID to a police officer. Even when driving you don’t need to show a license on the spot, though if stopped for cause you have to present it at a police station within three days. At least those were the rules when I was a young driver there. Th…

I don't understand why Americans hold freedom of speech / the First Amendment in such high regard.

What does it buy you?

Major corruption, abuse and misconduct still happens. Being able to criticise your government doesn't seem to matter in the social media age. Look at the state of politics in the US right now.

Seems like it's slightly redundant these days – a bit anachronistic?

Kind of odd the obsession with it.

(p.s.: All the social media companies being from the US, of course – thanks for all the misinformation, disinformation and hate speech platforms along with all that 'free speech'!).

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#572

Post by grues-dinner »

jama211 wrote: post #479
array_key_first wrote: post #450

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All it takes is one breach or vulnerability and then yes, they DO have access to all your data. Imagine someone steals your driver's license. No biggie. Now imagine they steal your identity which is linked to everything you ever do.

But that’s already the case without a digital id. It’s not like those accounts aren’t already linked together.

The accounts generally aren't linked together. Everything about the UK government IT is a huge group of independent systems all pretty much isolated from each other. You can argue over whether that's down to incompetence, organisational turf wars, or good security design.

Which is why you have completely separate account to pay the same government for crossing one specific brige in East London than you do for vehicle tax.

Most government websites do use the same frontend toolkit (a rare win for UK governmental IT) but front completely separate systems.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#573

Post by boringg »

logicchains wrote: post #506
crimsoneer wrote: post #488

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Crime is literally at all time lows

The number of rapes is at an all time high, increased more than fourfold in the last couple decades: https://www.statista.com/statistics/283100/recorded-rape-off...

That is a depressing chart.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#574

Post by ForHackernews »

ninalanyon wrote: post #569
ForHackernews wrote: post #562

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I'm too cynical but from where I'm sitting Google and Apple already have all the info about citizens in a giant database that they use for their own purposes. Why are we upset that the government might create a more limited database? The cows are long since out of the barn on "don't collect a giant database of everyone's personal information"

Because Google and Apple can't use it to control where and with whom you work, live, play, etc., but the government can.

a) The government can subpoena Google, Apple etc. for whatever information they want - or not even subpoena, often they ask nicely and the companies hand over any data requested.

b) Many people are extremely angry about immigration. They very much want the government to control "where and with whom [certain other people] work, live, play"

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#575

Post by astonex »

mastazi wrote: post #17

I'm not clear if this is digital ONLY or if I people can choose to carry a physical card when required, instead of a smartphone. If it's the former, then it means it's now mandatory for all British citizens to become customers of the Google/Apple duopoly LOL

It's been mentioned that you will be able to get a physical card with a chip in it for those who want it

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#576

Post by Havoc »

aftergibson wrote: post #189

A secure, optional digital ID could be useful. But not in today’s UK. Why? Because the state has already shown it can’t be trusted with our data. - Snoopers’ Charter (Investigatory Powers Act 2016): ISPs must keep a year’s worth of records of which websites you visit. More than 40 agencies—from MI5 to the Welsh Ambulance Service—can request it. MI5 has already broken the rules and kept data it shouldn’t have. - Encry…

Uk has a lot of cameras sure but the vast majority of them look like 360p tech frankly

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#577

Post by psnehanshu »

crazygringo wrote: post #518
qazwsxedchac wrote: post #459

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The ID cards as realized in many other countries are comparatively benign, because they are a physical credential in the possession of the person concerned. The government cannot stop this credential from being used except by physically confiscating it or by waiting (years) for it to expire. Distributed storage in action. The UK's proposal makes the "digital ID" a pointer to an entry in a centralized database. This d…

> The government cannot stop this credential from being used except by physically confiscating it or by waiting (years) for it to expire This is not true. Government agencies generally look up your ID as necessary to check if it's still valid. Stopped for speeding? The cop is going to look up your driver's license. Leaving the country? They're running your passport number. Starting a job? They're checking the status…

Which means they are already a "pointer" to a record in a centralised database.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#578

Post by ninalanyon »

remarkEon wrote: post #21

>The proposals are the government's latest bid to tackle illegal immigration, with the new ID being a form of proof of a citizen's right to live and work in the UK. How does a digital ID solve an illegal immigration problem? I watched the video and the suggestion is that this makes it easier for employers to verify that someone is authorized to work. Is that actually true? I don't live in the UK and have not visited…

> How does a digital ID solve an illegal immigration problem?

It doesn't. The kind of employer who would employ an illegal immigrant is certainly not going to ask to see ID of any kind. They would surely be especially wary of any electronic ID because that would make it easier to associate them with the immigrant. ID cards are only of any use to legal workers and honest employers.

If the UK wants the benefits of a solid ID it should look to Scandinavia. In Norway everyone has a unique number in the population register and this ID is your user ID for all state services. Employers can ask for this number and look you up. Of course it still doesn't prevent people working on the black for cash in hand but neither will an ID card or ID app.

There is no appetite for ID cards in Norway either, yet successive governments keep pushing the idea despite there being no compelling reason to believe that any problems will be solved by them.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#580

Post by louthy »

aftergibson wrote: post #189

A secure, optional digital ID could be useful. But not in today’s UK. Why? Because the state has already shown it can’t be trusted with our data. - Snoopers’ Charter (Investigatory Powers Act 2016): ISPs must keep a year’s worth of records of which websites you visit. More than 40 agencies—from MI5 to the Welsh Ambulance Service—can request it. MI5 has already broken the rules and kept data it shouldn’t have. - Encry…

Get a grip. Everybody in the UK already has a National Insurance number and NHS number, and most have either a driving license or passport — all the elements of national identity are already in place. This is just FUD.
Post reply on HN