Big Brother & surviellence

The UK has more cctv cameras per head of population than any other country. Yet its the most worried about having an ID card. How come?



Maybe it can be explained by the fact that cctv has crept up on us whilst ID cards are coming fast in a blaze of publicity. Also cctv has, at the moment, a public safety benefit which is clear and demonstrated frequently, whereas ID cards....

So to get ID cards to be accepted - and there is no law that forces you to carry them - you need to demonstrate a real benefit too. Well for sure, "National Security" does not cut it with most thinking people, so what other benefit can be used? Its also not "streamlining government" as we just know that any savings will be lost in the government cashpot.

Maybe we should look at the other time-honoured motivations of Joe Public. In reality those boil down to "more cash in my pocket".

So what models can reward the citizen for using an ID card?

Maybe we can learn from the credit card companies. How do they differentiate?.

Better interest rates
Bigger credit limits
Airmiles
Cashback
Gifts
Offers
Indemnities/fraud protection.
Branding
Easy management

So......the way it might work is:

* The government charge you only an extra £10 to get a card when you get a new passport and then **gives** you £50 after you use the ID card for the 2nd or 3rd time and on each anniversary you get a fist full of discount vouchers. - maybe even airmiles.

* You have free on-line viewing of your ID card use.

* Banks give you 0.25% lower overdraft rate if you use your ID card each time you interact with the bank. - They have less fraud.

* Credit cards give you some cashback if you identify yourself with the ID card as well as chip n'pin. - They have less fraud.

Those ideas are a start..............