UK ID card roadmap
More cost, more frequent updates
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posted 8:56am EST Thu Apr 01 2004 - submitted by Matthew
NEWS
The U.K. Passport Service (UKPS) has released details of future plans for the U.K. passport and the introduction of a national ID card. The plans see a facial biometric being standard on new passports as of 2005. The reason for the facial element to the passport is to fall in line with new controls implemented by the International Civil Aviation Organization and increased security at the U.S. border. It is also hoped that the system will cut down on fraud, as the facial image will be easily comparable to databased images of known fraudulent passport application filers.
As well as the changes to the passport, the government also plans to implement an ID card (in addition to the passport) containing further biometric identification. This will take the form of either a fingerprint or iris scan, and will be introduced in 2006--trials are currently underway to see how effective the system is. Eventually this card will become the U.K.'s national ID card.
There are a number of downsides to these changes that are being considered. The first is cost--we will see the price of a passport rise from the current £41 (US$75) to £78 (US$143) by 2008. Currently a passport needs to be renewed every 10 years, but this is also under scrutiny and may be cut to 5 years. The reasoning behind this is that the reduced time between renewals would allow newer technology to be implemented and avoids breakdowns in the technology in the IDs; it would also "help preserve the integrity of the document design."
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MATTHEW'S OPINION
So this method of making us all safer is going to cost us almost double the price, and double that price again because we will have to update them every 5 instead of 10 years? In my opinion, if the U.K. Government wants to force ID cards on us then it should at least be providing them free of charge. You don't see credit card companies charging us for cards containing chips because the technology helps them lose less money. The same is true with the government: by making sure we are all legitimate nationals, the government is saving money in a host of places, including illegitimate workers and the cost of policing (with regards to fraud).
Whether or not such a system will make the U.K. a safer place to live is under debate, and it could be argued that people will always find a way to circumvent the security. What it shouldn't do, however, under any circumstances, is put more of a strain on the people who live in a country legitimately, pay their taxes, etc., etc. This system does just that by increasing costs that have to be paid, and the time lost due to the increased frequency of updates. And it's no longer a case of sending a picture in, either; now we have to go and have a scan (or two).
To be honest, I hope the trials are a failure due to the cumbersome nature of the implementation. A rethinking is needed to make the system more transparent and easy to live with, while retaining the high level of security it is meant to provide.
USER COMMENTS 4 comment(s)
Totally agree (9:17am EST Thu Apr 01 2004)
The current government here never tires of foisting new charges on us, and it will NOT make the UK a safer place, things will go on as normal but with a bigger and more advanced black market.
Whoopee - by Captain Nemo
Small price (9:24am EST Thu Apr 01 2004)
to pay, if it can save countless lives as it should.
Love the way you worked 'host' into there, to get the sponsored link in. Subtle. - by me
Engineering Design Rule (12:25pm EST Thu Apr 01 2004)
1. Quality
2. Quick
3. Cheap
Pick two.
Statistical Analysis Rule:
"For any given function with defined resources, Type I errors [false alarms] may be reduced simultaneously to reduced Type II errors [failed alarms], only at the expense of greater resource consumption."
Now test the following against those two rules of reality:
"A rethinking is needed to make the system more transparent and easy to live with, while retaining the high level of security it is meant to provide." - by JJ Brannon
my libaties (12:59pm EST Thu Apr 01 2004)
are being taken and now they sending me a bill.
People's Republic of Britain can be the new name. And please don't quote the "if you've done nothing wrong...", because that doesn't hold true for anyone, we all bend laws.
An extra 5mph here, a few less legitimate purchases etc. Doesn't mean we're all "evil doers" (thats a technical term). - by anqe
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steve |
