For immediate release, Friday 5th February 2010

The National Identity Scheme is to be pushed to young people in London from this Monday 8th Feb. The NO2ID campaign [1] is warning anyone considering applying to read the small print before taking on what may be the most serious commitment they ever make.

The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) claims that ID cards are a “convenient” form of proof of age and will therefore be particularly useful for late teenagers. It is not so forthright about the fact that, once on the system, you have obligations for the rest of your life. You must look after the card and report if it is lost, stolen, or damaged, and you must keep your official record on the National Identity Register [2] up to date for the rest of your life. There are penalties for not doing so.

Meg Hillier MP, the minister responsible, confirmed earlier this week that nothing will get you removed from the Register – not even death [3].

Phil Booth, National Coordinator of NO2ID said,

If you look under 18 at 22, there are already cheap, simple proof-of-age cards available. What’s on offer here is a system that will keep track of your personal details for official purposes for life – and perhaps long after you have died of old age.

The ID scheme is a bureaucrat’s dream; a citizen’s nightmare.

-ENDS-

Notes for editors:

1) NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state. See http://www.no2id.net/dbstate for a list of ‘database state’ initiatives that NO2ID is actively opposing, and http://www.no2id.net/datasharing for how it all fits together.

NO2ID’s ‘Don’t be a guinea-pig’ campaign is at:
http://www.no2id.net/idcardcon/

2) For a full list of the *fifty* categories of information that may legally be held on the National Identity Register, read Schedule 1 of the Identity Cards Act 2006:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2006/ukpga_20060015_en_5#sch1

3) In response to a Parliamentary Question from Francis Maude MP, Ms Hillier said:
“Information will be retained for as long as is necessary, but only where it is consistent with the statutory purposes set out in the Identity Cards Act 2006. For example, the Identity Cards Act 2006 provides that the date of death may be held on the National Identity Register. This information may be required to help prevent an individual’s identity being stolen after death.”
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2010-02-01a.312174.h&s

For further information, or for immediate or future interview, please contact:

Phil Booth (National Co-ordinator, national.coordinator@no2id.net) on 07974 230 839
Guy Herbert (General Secretary, general.secretary@no2id.net) on 07956 544 308
Michael Parker (Press Officer, press.officer@no2id.net) on 07773 376 166