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Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

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Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#781
post #732

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok. Well I gave a couple of examples of what I'm getting at. So how can a convenient way to establish a digital identity also be secure? To run with the see-saw analogy, what element would of that process would make the process both more convenient and more secure? (make the see-saw rise at both ends).

My point of them being orthogonal is that both ends of the seesaw can come down together. The logical conclusion is that they can come up together. In other words, it is not a seesaw. Counter example - the usage of a password manager so that you have strong passwords on every service. It is extremely convenient (I don't have to remember passwords anymore, just the one for the password manager). It is also inherently…

I think that's a really good counterexample that proves that my model isn't universally true.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#782
post #645

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're arguing that the installation of a literal surveillance apparatus should be tolerated because technology can almost always be used for evil.

No, I’m arguing that it can be used for good, and it shouldn’t be dismissed when it cannot be used for evil things by law, especially not because of future possible evil usage, because that’s true for everything. Btw, why do use the internet? It’s quite contradictory to argue about this here. And that is the case since almost its inception.

Everything can be used for bad or good, some things the balance is so bad they aren't worth considering.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#783
post #736

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What purpose would that serve if identity is assigned by a centralized entity (the government)?

Fraud prevention and decentralised id verification. In a nutshell itd give identities the same level of technological protection that crypto currencies have.

There is nothing this does that digital signature don't already.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#784
post #397

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With proportionate representation you get what _should_ happen, in my opinion, which is sometimes nothing. If the coalition can't decide on something, then it doesn't happen, which is the correct outcome because not enough people agree about it. It represents the people (who also can not agree on it). The alternative is a decision that most people don't agree with.

My view is it's always organised elites making the decisions, no matter the system. Nominally left-wing parties often make brazen right-wing moves, and vice-versa. The votes that matter are those of the MPs, Congress members etc. which are always influenced by a range of factors and organised factions. That's the actual decision-making mechanism.

They are influenced by money.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#785

The same thing is happening in Greece. The new mandatory digital ID replaces and unifies everything about citizens in one place, "to make it easier for government services to share information between each other". It can indeed be useful, but the privacy implications are enormous. Just imagine that a policeman, employer or anybody else with access to the information linked to the ID can instantly view our medical rec…

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"

The worst genocides in history were commited by governments against their own citizens. Central databases like the UK proposal is a bad idea if your concerned about current or future bad actor states.

American companies, whilst pulling off some seriously unpleasant capatalistic practices, haven't committed genocide at least!

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#786

Earlier quoted context omitted.

how would the existence of this card make it easier to pursue you if you're let's say, Jewish? Doesn't passport/driving license already have thisv

Maybe it doesn't make it any easier but your question does remind us that cataloguing and categorising people can be dangerous. I accept that there are good reasons that the state could use this information, but we should also be alert to possible abuses. Without looking, I honestly don't know if the passport and driving licence lists this information. But the census certainly does.

I mean the issue is that British people are so uptight about the government id card when a) oyster/credit card allows somebody to track all of their movement b) there's plenty of information collection that combined can be used against you c) driving license is de facto gov id at the moment. The ship had sailed, you are fighting against the wrong thing and that's why this battle will be lost.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#787

HARD eye-roll at the libertarian scaremongering about this basic, sensible idea to tame the identity mess. * I have half a dozen different ID numbers for various things like NI, NHS, drivers license, tax etc * I also have a dozen different GOV.UK logins for various services. * When need to provide strong proof of identity to AWS to reset a root password, I have to go to a notary and pay £200 for a signature and stamp…

The far-left regime is counting on useful idiots like you.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#788

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of all the things there are to complain about these ID cards, I don’t think this is the one to choose. Starmer has been ambivalent on ID cards (at least compared to Blair, who must think Xmas has come twice this year). Really the only reason this is being introduced is because it lets Labour look like they’re trying to tackle illegal immigration/employment/benefits-claiming. Reform (led by Trump’s mini-me) is making…

If that's Labour's response to Reform UK then it is the most ill-thought-out, if not idiotic, possible: There is a real issue with immigration in the UK. People want actual action on immigration, not gimmicks, not lies. The Conservatives were annihilated because their voters caught up with the fact that they were lying (talking tough while actually pushing immigration higher). Those Digital IDs would do nothing again…

shrug I don’t really care either way. Neither am I invested in a Labour government next time around. I think the country is fucked if “Trump mini-me” Farage is elected but I’m pretty well buffered from the consequences so, again, shrug

Let’s see how it plays out…

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#789

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every time I see a comment like this I wonder if they just don't know that countries like Afghanistan are on an explicit travel advisory list from basically any government, or if you just conveniently fail to mention it since it doesn't fit your narrative. My country - Germany - explicitely requests all Germans to leave Afghanistan at once. Why do you think that is?

We're talking about a country that has been at war for 20 years and is now under the thumb of a fundamentalist totalitarian regime. You don't have to look far to find thousands of examples of afgani people/refugees denouncing the Taliban. Using this as a representative example of afgani culture is at best misleading. It would be like labeling the citizens of North Korean as being culturally against their own human ri…

> We're talking about a country that has been at war for 20 years and is now under the thumb of a fundamentalist totalitarian regime

Culturally based attitudes to homosexuality have little if anything to do with a people‘s government. As far as I can find polls for it, disagreement and hate towards queer people is incredibly prevalent among their people.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#790
post #736

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fraud prevention and decentralised id verification. In a nutshell itd give identities the same level of technological protection that crypto currencies have.

There is nothing this does that digital signature don't already.

Implementation details matter
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