The British government has spent 6.6 billion dollars for a new identity card program that is based around biometrics. Like any new ID card program it is designed to help enhance security for everyone from public officials to private citizens. The problem is that there is not one card reader in the entire country, not at any police station, customs locations, anywhere in the entire country.It would be understandable if the government had a plan to purchase card readers but it does not.
"We have always said that we would roll out the scheme incrementally. The card will not be as useful as it could be until we have got the volumes out there. There's no prospect in the immediate future for the government directing anybody that you have to buy those things [readers] because we would be placing a burden on these organizations."
She continues, "The manufacturers of the machines have also got to decide whether it is worth their while to produce them. I think that organizations will decide in time that it is better, quicker and cheaper to have them."
The government produced a 6.6 billon dollar piece of plastic that no one can read and thus it acts like any other form of identification. If this isn't a giant face-palm, then the term needs a new definition.
















Exactly.
They are a bunch of morons.
They expect me to buy an I.D. card?
Why? I already know who I am.
I don't need a card to tell me that.
I wish I could allow my only swear work of the day here, ohhhhh ***&^%^%$£"£"£$%**** them.
Got that off my chest.
Nothing surprises me when it come to this socialist control freak government.
I don't need a card to tell me that.
How do other people know you are who you say you are??
... err yes they do plan to. Theres just no set times yet.
Also whats the point in buying readers when the cards arent even out yet - the earliest cards reportedly being rolled out late this year, but I dont think thats even confirmed. This is still being developed/tested, so theres no point in making places require readers yet, if they did that then in a few year when the rolled the cards out they most likely wouldn't work as predicted. Theyre doing it the logical way, slowly rolling out the cards and when they do that they start deploying the readers. Why buy readers when the cards do exist? How is this news its like saying Microsoft spend xyz on windows 7 but havent sold a single copy???
Just like the new VISA cards in canada the ones with the Chip now.. and require a pin code...they need different card readers as well, and businesses will probably be charged for them. It's not a face palm that they made a new secure technology and no one can use it.. it will obviously take time for people /orgainzations to buy and get sereaders. Many will be those to whom security is a high priority.
I suppose that's where Neowin's slogan "Where unprofessional journalism looks better" comes in. It annoys me too, but the site is (normally) interesting enough to overlook it. Unfortunately too many of the sites I like to visit have crappy opinions embedded in the articles, such as Ars Technica and particularly Slashdot.
One could say the opinions are harmless and you either agree with them or not, but if they're based on totally false info then true, it's annoying. But for some people it's part of what they like about Neowin, or any other tech site.
Well, the UK doesnt even require IDs in the first place (like spain for example), and if they were to introduce an ID card it's only logical that they take the steps for a future digitalisation. My point is, they're okay now without ID cards, they'll be just as okay with ID cards without readers, after all, a person can read them. They'll eventually get the readers.
I've noticed that clerks in American shops are FINALLY beginning to look at the watermarks on banknotes-- we've just had them since the 1996 series.
can it be incorperated into the driving licence??
can it be incorperated into the driving licence??
It will replace the driving license and the passport as well as other forms of ID in to one unified whole.
can it be incorperated into the driving licence??
will it replacethe driving license? I thought the driving license card comformed to some EU+switzerland standard. And you have to have in mind that the card has to be valid also for those who don't have a drivers license.
ID + Fiscal + Health + Social Security + Voting (to be implemented) altogether (but not a single number card)
The Citizen's Card replaces the cards of the main bodies of the Portuguese Government, which the citizen will, at start, have to interact during the course of its life.
It's a basic identifying card that will not associate its bearer to particular abilities, rights and obligations, beyond the scope that gives the status of national citizen of the Portuguese Republic.
And that's why the driver's license isn't merged with this card.
ok that i doubt there will be a reader but they can check the number
Well, from what I heard the voting card is not and will not be implemented. What they are doing right now is enabling voting via your ID card number.
ID + Fiscal + Health + Social Security + Voting (to be implemented) altogether (but not a single number card)
The Citizen's Card replaces the cards of the main bodies of the Portuguese Government, which the citizen will, at start, have to interact during the course of its life.
It's a basic identifying card that will not associate its bearer to particular abilities, rights and obligations, beyond the scope that gives the status of national citizen of the Portuguese Republic.
And that's why the driver's license isn't merged with this card.
OMFG that Id has my Birthday O.o
British & Dollars?!
Be thankful you are in a country that you can get an education!
So we should bend over and take it just because we have an education system? What a load of rubbish!
I was a student, and I have about £10,000 worth of debt, but I don't worry about it as the amount you pay back is so small, its hardly noticable.
My passport should be good enough and that's expensive!
My passport should be good enough and that's expensive!
Sorry but by 2015 it will be compulsory to get it.
My passport should be good enough and that's expensive!
Sorry but by 2015 it will be compulsory to get it.
Not if (or perhaps that should be when) the Conservatives win the next general election which has to be before June 2010. They plan to scrap ID cards.
My passport should be good enough and that's expensive!
Sorry but by 2015 it will be compulsory to get it.
Not if (or perhaps that should be when) the Conservatives win the next general election which has to be before June 2010. They plan to scrap ID cards.
Sorry I looked it up again I got a few things wrong. By 2015 everyone in the country would have one and many people will have them by 2010. Mid 2010 is the point of no return for the project. By then I it would make financial incompetence to cancel the project considering a lot of people will have them and all the money that has been invested in the project.
http://www.conservatives.com/Campaigns/ID_...s_Bad_IDea.aspx
The mainframe was installed (10.000.000 euro's) and then they system manager asked , well how do we run it?
The manufacturer: Well, you write an operating system, and then you write the program to run on top.
5 years later and almost the same amount spend once more on consultants they scrapped it, never got i to function
.. perhaps the poster should make sure of the facts ..
Who reads dailytech.com anyway?
Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!
Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.