A mailing list I'm on has had a very off-topic thread regarding the London bombings and ID cards. I've steered clear of commenting because a) it's a web development list, and b) quite frankly I'm not sure anyone is interested in my opinions. But I wanted to say somethig, and I suppose that's what blogs are for.
I have several objects to the ID card, not least of which is that it's just another damn card I have to carry around. Why can't it be combined with my driving license? Why can't we have a smart card driving license, instead of that additional bit of paper? A single government card I'd accept, maybe a bit grudginly, but I'd accept it. Anyway, my other objections to ID cards have nothing to do with civil liberties, but more to do with:
1. Will the government be able to implement the scheme on time, and on budget?
2. Will it actually work?
3. How secure will it be?
I worry about these points, as we all should be. Time and time again we've seen goveernment IT projects fail, especially ones of this size, and quite frankly the implications of an insecure system scare the pants off me (not that I wear more than one pair at a time). I know the idea of subverting ID seems fictional, but I've spoken to police officers who have dealt with false IDs - some created by the police themselves (witness protection), and some by unscrupulous people at the places that issue driving licenses. For the latter, all it took was money and the right person to bribe. It's happened more times that you'd think.
I've recently been looking into the social aspects of security issues, and worry it's going to be along the lines of chip and pin, which on its own is actually less secure for consumers. For example, if you see an entry on your bank statement that wasn't made by you, how can you persuade the bank of that. Chip and pin would indicate you made the purchase. No signature to check later. And it's so easy to get people's pin numbers - just stand in a queue and watch. Very few people actually hide what they try and type.
[Listening to: She Cries Your Name - Beth Orton - Trailer Park]