Renew your passport now!

[Whiternoise]

bah, mines gonna get renewed anyway next year.. i think i'll wait.

surely the whole 'lets record your internet usage' thing only happens if you're suspected of commiting a crime..

" (3) An order under this section must specify the maximum period for which a communications provider may be required to retain communications data by any direction given under this section while the order is in force."

isn't the above implying that the government will direct a comms provider to monitor comms for a 'maximum period', not all the time.

[Rave]

bah, mines gonna get renewed anyway next year.. i think i'll wait.

Well, they plan on 'inviting' people in for fingerprinting, iris scans, 'background check interviews' etc. from October this year. If you want to go on the National Identity Register (after all, what have you got to fear? ) then by all means leave it. Otherwise, renew now- you can carry over up to nine months of validity from your current passport anyway.

[htid]

I cant argue much because i dont know all the facts, but, surely there must be some benifits, as the government must have people like you Nicomach to think of these arguements and others must have thought of effective counter arguements in order for the government to consider continuing with the idea. If they knew it was a total waste of time, why would they continue to try and implement the cards?

Just my thought, if im wrong, fair enough

[Rave]

I cant argue much because i dont know all the facts, but, surely there must be some benifits, as the government must have people like you Nicomach to think of these arguements and others must have thought of effective counter arguements in order for the government to consider continuing with the idea. If they knew it was a total waste of time, why would they continue to try and implement the cards?

Dunno mate- read the LSE report, and then the home office rebuttal if you can find it (I couldn't ). Anyway, the consensus is that they ignored 90% of the points in the LSE report and answered the rest pretty badly. On the basis of the arguments presented by the Home Office, there really is no good reason for them- which inevitably starts the conspiracy theories going. I myself have no idea what the hell they think they're doing.....

[vicar]

For those who are pro id's, i hope you have seen the movie 'Enemy of the State' food for thought.

The question is (1) Do you trust the government with so much intrusive information about you?

2) Do you trust the government to keep your information safe & secure?

3) Identity cloning on a large scale, hummmmmmmm

4) If hackers can hack into military systems, why do you think a civilian system is safe?

Just my 2pence worth.

[Lee H]

IBM's boffins are slating the idea as well now ;

http://www.itworldcanada.com/a/News/...b6a642db1.html

(thanks to theinq for pointing this out )