Shredders

[peterbirks]

I see that shredders are the new big seller. Is everyone secretly hiding tawdry secrets that they don't want the press to get hold of? No, of course not. They are panicking at the scare stories of "identity theft". What they don't realize is that most of them have finances of such outstanding tediousness that no-one would want to steal their identity anyway. And those that are in danger, well, shredding credit card bills won't make any difference.

Identity theft is not complex. Foraging in bins isn't necessary. You can find out about a person through the purchase of information available on CD and supplied by such underground organisations as BT, Experian and the local Council. A few applications later and you have got someone else's identity, with a photo ID. Not that most of these zeroes have anything to worry about, but shredders are about as useful as water filters here.

Comments

[slowjoe.livejournal.com]

Just to draw on the well of knowledge here, Pete:

How will ID cards change the playing field here?

Identity cards

[peterbirks.livejournal.com]

How will they change things? Why, is it official that they will be brought in? Why was I not informed? Well, since most ID theft rarely involves a face-to-face meeting, I shouldn't think that they will change things at all. And since, as far as I am aware, even if they are introduced, it won't be compulsory to carry them at all times, then the whole thing seems like a bit of a waste of time. I suppose it might catch a few illegal immigrants, but they tend to catch them if they are looking for them without much trouble anyway (the "fare-dogeres" hit is the favourite in Lewisham -- with policemen by the ticket-checkers. No-one is really looking for fare-dodgers. At Lewisham you are far more likely to catch someone with an outstanding warrant, not infrequently from the Ukraine).

Re: Identity cards

[slowjoe.livejournal.com]

As I understand it, there was manifesto commitment to introduce ID cards. Remember how a couple of lines in the Tory manifesto of 1987 became the "flagship policy to introduce the community charge"?

The labour manifesto is here, and page 52-53 contains the text:

We will introduce ID cards, including biometric data like
fingerprints, backed up by a national register and rolling out initially
on a voluntary basis as people renew their passports.

Note the phrase "initially on a voluntary basis". I'd guess this means that:

1. It's official that they'll try to bring them in.

2. If they succeed in passing the bill, they'll try to make them compulsory later.

It's fascinating to me that a project which will likely cost tens of billions of pounds is so far under the radar.

BTW, I had no idea that Lewisham was such a den of iniquity :)

Shredders

[(Anonymous)]

There were at least three separate comments post election that ID cards were the best example of something that now won't happen because of the reduced majority. Apparently there are enough Labour MPs that feel strongly enough against them to kybosh the entire scheme. So, Britain will be saved from the totalitarianism of states like Holland, Sweden and Germany
John Webley

Re: ID cards

[(Anonymous)]

Spain has ID cards too. By now I have one myself, although I'm not Spanish. The ID number is frequently requested as a matter of routine. I also have to use mine to log on to my bank's Web site.

An ID card also serves in place of a passport within the EU.

-- Jonathan, near Barcelona