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Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

bigbrotherwatch.org.uk

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Re: Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

#61

Post by mattmanser »

martinald wrote: post #15

The UK already has (various) digital IDs but this is the 'new' one https://www.gov.uk/using-your-gov-uk-one-login . So what's going to be different? Just making it mandatory? I can see some justification (sorta) for not making it mandatory, but saying it won't improve citizens lives is complete rubbish. Having one login for all government services would massively improve the efficiency, especially if other department…

The already tried one login for all government services (Government Gateway Id), but they released it when all the services had their own tech teams and it was a general disaster.

Each service would issue you a different one.

It's not so bad now, but it's extremely irritating to have a number as the user id as when you run a business or two, you end up with more, and then you have no idea which is which.

Re: Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

#62

Post by sschueller »

The Swiss are voting again for the e-ID this weekend. It is likely to pass this time although there are still some issues.

The implementation of the self custody wallet is open source: https://github.com/swiyu-admin-ch . What is missing is the verification system used to issue the ID which is not open at this time and the law is vague on who gets to ask for the ID. These two things still need to be settled.

Re: Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

#63

Post by TehCorwiz »

ronsor wrote: post #47
physicsguy wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because 20 years later, everyone has given their data away on TikTok anyway and we're still dealing with the same issues with different digital government ID numbers that aren't joined together at all. I have (that I remember, probably more): National Insurance Number NHS Number Unique Taxpayer Reference number A student loan Customer Reference Number account number A passport number A government gateway ID number A…

That isn't too different from America, where you have a social security number, driver's license number, passport number (possibly two if you also have a passport card), and any other random identification the government demands.

In the us several of those are administered by different governments (state v federal) and at least one is literally forbidden from being used as an id number because the numbers are reused (but everyone does anyway).

Re: Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

#64

Post by mytailorisrich »

maleldil wrote: post #55
sega_sai wrote: post #7

It's BS. Having a single ID instead of having to show a gas bill to prove your address is the right approach. Most European countries have a single ID card, and that's perfectly fine. In fact anyone who drives in the UK already have an ID card -- driving license. Now it's just a question of one card everyone would have and you could use to ID yourself when using banks or government services.

This always felt weird to me in the UK. As a foreigner, I have to carry my passport anyway, but how do citizens who don't have driving licences identify themselves in day-to-day life? Say they get carded at a pub?

You don't have to carry any form of ID in the UK and there are no ID cards, anyway. That said, obviously most people have their driving licence on them.

As a foreigner you do not have to carry your passport.

No-one is going to ask for ID unless you are doing something specific at a bank or government office, for instance. Or, indeed if you are trying to buy alcohol or cigarettes anywhere and look very young... But young people can get provisional driving licences before they have passed their driving tests.

Re: Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

#65

Post by LatteLazy »

Chiming in as a Brit: I m generally opposed to this.

I already have a passport and that is digitalised and universal. Why not just use that?

The UK has a bad habit of launching these programs and not being able to deliver on them.

We have had National Insurance numbers for a long time, these are used to track income tax payments and benefits. But that doesn’t work apparently. So I had to set up a Unique Tax Reference number. Just to do my tax return. This involved several letters back and forth. Actual paper sent in the post over several weeks. The government already have all the tax information they just need me to do 20h of work because they can’t keep their files straight.

They made a mess of that. So I now have an additional Unique Tax Reference number. 2 unique IDs…

And they are still getting my taxes wrong. And writing to me about other peoples taxes/benefits payments because they have similar names and live in the same municipality.

Also, I’ve never had any difficulty proving who I am online when I want to. And I should not need to do so anymore than I already chose to.

Re: Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

#66

Post by Kenji »

sschueller wrote: post #62

The Swiss are voting again for the e-ID this weekend. It is likely to pass this time although there are still some issues. The implementation of the self custody wallet is open source: https://github.com/swiyu-admin-ch . What is missing is the verification system used to issue the ID which is not open at this time and the law is vague on who gets to ask for the ID. These two things still need to be settled.

[dead]

Re: Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

#67

Post by rtkwe »

ronsor wrote: post #47
physicsguy wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because 20 years later, everyone has given their data away on TikTok anyway and we're still dealing with the same issues with different digital government ID numbers that aren't joined together at all. I have (that I remember, probably more): National Insurance Number NHS Number Unique Taxpayer Reference number A student loan Customer Reference Number account number A passport number A government gateway ID number A…

That isn't too different from America, where you have a social security number, driver's license number, passport number (possibly two if you also have a passport card), and any other random identification the government demands.

Most people in the US only have the first two only ~46-51% of people in the US have passports and way fewer actually have a passport card on top of that. That's the majority of ID numbers most people have to keep track of.

Re: Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

#68

Post by ThrowawayTestr »

flumpcakes wrote: post #35

Can anyone explain why this is a bad thing? All I hear about this is conspiracy theories or anti-government rhetoric but never a clear reason to why this is bad. I can't see a reason considering all of the benefits it can bring, and similar things have been rolled out across Nordic countries.

Would you be willing to publish your browsing history with your real name attached? Why not list your real name in your HN bio?

Re: Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

#69

Post by gsck »

physicsguy wrote: post #41
nemomarx wrote: post #2

Why is the UK politics scene so focused on digital ID? Blair first proposed it and I feel like I've heard about it continually since with no progress. Different justifications every time too

Because 20 years later, everyone has given their data away on TikTok anyway and we're still dealing with the same issues with different digital government ID numbers that aren't joined together at all. I have (that I remember, probably more): National Insurance Number NHS Number Unique Taxpayer Reference number A student loan Customer Reference Number account number A passport number A government gateway ID number A…

Best part about gov id, there is no link between accounts. I have my personal gov ID account, I have my director of a business gov ID account and I also have a gov ID account for the business.

Why are these all separate, why am I 2 people according to gov ID. Why can't I access my director of a business gov ID from my personal gov ID???

The kicker is these are all linked, it knows they all belong to the one person, but if you log into the wrong one it tells you to use the other one.

Re: Rights groups urge UK PM Starmer to abandon plans for mandatory digital ID

#70

Post by amoe_ »

physicsguy wrote: post #41
nemomarx wrote: post #2

Why is the UK politics scene so focused on digital ID? Blair first proposed it and I feel like I've heard about it continually since with no progress. Different justifications every time too

Because 20 years later, everyone has given their data away on TikTok anyway and we're still dealing with the same issues with different digital government ID numbers that aren't joined together at all. I have (that I remember, probably more): National Insurance Number NHS Number Unique Taxpayer Reference number A student loan Customer Reference Number account number A passport number A government gateway ID number A…

I actually like this and don't want them to be joined up.
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