ID card opponents won't give up without a fight

Privacy campaigners have hit out at the UK government's latest stride towards a national biometric identity scheme - despite apparent growing support for the idea among the public.

Although the majority of UK citizens appear to support identity cards, with 60 per cent of silicon.com readers backing the scheme, Privacy International has called the draft bill, launched today, "draconian and dangerous".

In the bill, Home Secretary David Blunkett wrote: "We have a tradition of living in a free and open society and we are used to taking people at face value – trusting them to be who they say they are.

However, Blunkett said a change in the climate of trust means now is the right time to take advantage of improved technology, such as biometrics, and introduce "a completely new level of verifying identity".

Among those polled by silicon.com who supported the cards, there was massive support for biometrics, with 85.4 per cent of respondents saying data such as fingerprints and iris scans should be utilised to increase the security and trustworthiness of the cards.

Blunkett added: "The threat of global terrorism, the ease with which large numbers of people now travel around the world and the proliferation of identity fraud make secure identification more vital than ever."

However, Privacy International remains unconvinced and continues to raise concerns about the wider implications of such a scheme.

Of particular concern to Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, is recommended legislation that would see the Home Secretary empowered to aid law enforcement agencies such as the police, inland revenue and customs officials by disclosing individuals' ID information.

Other concerns of Privacy International include the right to demand a person register for an ID card and the threat of criminal action if they do not. Similarly, where information is known, the government will be allowed to register the individual on their behalf.

Davies described the legislation as a "disgrace to democracy". He predicted that the proposals would be defeated in the Lords, and that they would meet with overwhelming public opposition.

However, despite Davies' assertion, there appears to be growing support for the ID cards - as long as they achieve what they set out to achieve.

In fact the arguments seem to be turning on the anti-ID card lobby, with many tiring of 'Big Brother' hyperbole and citing irrational paranoia and fear of change as common causes of what they see as ill-founded concern.

Many others question what the anti-lobby have to hide - assuming a 'no guilt, no problem' attitude towards the cards.

Of those in favour of ID cards, 65.7 per cent of respondents to the silicon survey said the only people who need fear ID cards are those with something to hide.