John Welford
C-List
Joined: 07 Oct 2005
Posts: 611
Location: Edinburgh
|
 Posted: Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:29:20 +0000 Post subject: Big Issue (Scotland): Identity Crisis |
 |
|
Identity Crisis
Civil rights groups slam proof-of-age plans as 'back door' to ID cards
BY ADAM FORREST
The Big Issue (Scotland), March 6-12, 2008, No 672, pp 6-7 (source not online)
This article is spread across two pages, and it's accompanied by a truly eye-catching picture of a much enlarged national entitlement card! It's good to see this issue of the Scottish Trojan horse ID card at last being given the press publicity it deserves.
Efforts to push through a proof-of-age card for young people in Scotland have been slammed by civil liberties campaigners as the introduction of ID cards "by the back door".
And a leading civil rights lawyer has also drawn comparisons with the introduction of the poll tax, which was disastrously trialled in Scotland before being rolled out across the UK.
The Scottish Grocers Federation, representing stores such as Spar, Costcutters and Somerfield, has called for a national compulsory card for those aged 12 to 26.
Bringing in ID would allow retailers to check the age of teens trying to buy alcohol and cigarettes. The public petitions committee at the Scottish Parliament has given a cautious welcome to the idea of steering the existing YoungScot Entitlement Card, already carried by 340,000 Scots, toward the function of ID.
John Drummond, of the Scottish Grocers Federation, said: “There are so many different types of proof of age card that it can be confusing, which is why we want to see just one used and accepted by everyone..."
Retailers want the card to cover people up to the age of 26 because they say they have difficulty identifying who is over 18. "In an ideal world, it would be compulsory,” said Drummond. “We're trying to develop a culture whereby anyone in that age bracket would automatically present their card.”
Although he insists only a name, age and photograph would be registered on a hologram-chipped card rolled out across the country, anti-ID card campaigners say a free bus travel entitlement scheme is already being used to collate the personal information of pensioners on a "citizen's account"...
John Welford, of campaign group NO2ID, said: "It’s a Trojan horse. An entitlement card in any other country is an ID card, and in other European countries, they are much more wary of the databases behind it. It is an opportunity to get young people into a database system. The government are sleepwalking us into a surveillance society of the worst kind. It's ID cards by the back door."
Human Rights lawyer John Scott added: "Some people have been accused of paranoia, but there is evidence that travel and entitlement cards have expanded beyond their stated limited purpose.
"Any proof-of-age scheme for everyone under 26 is potentially a way of softening people up for ID cards. It would be like trialling the poll tax in Scotland, with young people as the target audience.” MSPs are ambivalent about using the YoungScot card as a form of ID card.
"We felt because a [YoungScot] scheme already exists, it would be relatively straightforward to widen to the point all youngsters could have access to it," said the SNP's Nigel Don. "It's a good idea, but I would be reluctant to make it compulsory."
Green Party MSP Robin Harper said there would have to be "strict controls" over use of the information stored on the cards.
_________________
John
http://www.jwelford.demon.co.uk/ |
|
