I’ve long maintained that by far the biggest reason that we’re losing our privacy and our rights is because we are willing to sacrifice just about anything if our elected officials tell us it will make us "safer" or "more secure."
That’s certainly been the case in the "War on Terror" as the US, UK and other countries systematically eliminate centuries-old protections against property seizures, imprisonment without being accused (much less convicted) of a crime, etc.
But in the UK, something very interesting is happening. A poll taken for the London
Daily Telegraph earlier this month revealed that hundreds of thousands of people, maybe even millions, would refuse to register on the proposed database ("National Identity Register") that will underpin "New Labour’s" national ID card scheme, even if this meant a fine or going to jail.
Respondents spoke of their concern about the growth of the "surveillance society," with large numbers stating they didn’t trust the government’s promises not to misuse personal information. Many stated they feared the National Identity Register would contain inaccurate and unreliable information, which could be used against them.
Fully half of those polled oppose national ID cards, with half of those opposed to the ID willing to pay a fine by refusing to hand over their details. A stunning 15% of those polled said they would go to prison rather than register.
This translates into millions of people. Even if just 2% of those over 16 refuse to register for the national ID card, the government would need to fine or jail than one million citizens for non-compliance.
Of course, when the national ID cards roll out in 2008, the government will use every possible opportunity—a horrific murder by an undocumented immigrant, a terrorist incident—anything at all—to build the case that national ID cards are "essential" for security.
Nothing could be further from the truth—a national ID and the database tied to it will be a security disaster waiting to happen. As computer security expert Bruce Schneier observes:
"ID cards encourage criminals to attempt forgeries, potentially exacerbating crime rather than reducing it. As you make a credential more valuable, there is more impetus to forge it. And even if we could guarantee that everyone who issued national ID cards couldn’t be bribed, initial cardholder identity would be determined by other identity documents … all of which would be easier to forge. But the main problem with any ID system is … an immense database of private and sensitive information on every citizen—one widely and instantaneously accessible from airline check-in stations, police cars, schools, and so on. And when the inevitable worms, viruses, or random failures happen and the database goes down, what then? Is the whole country supposed to shut down until it’s restored?"
Despite these realities, and the fact that hackers recently penetrated the computers at the UK Identity and Passport Service, which is setting up the National Identity Register, the national ID scheme is on track to begin in 2008.
Let’s hope the Brits who say they’re willing to go to jail rather than submit to the latest indignity of "New Labour" are willing to follow through on their promise. Because if they are, they will sink the proposal dead in its tracks…if not forever, at least for the foreseeable future.
