UK ID cards: Not as unpopular as you might think

Forty per cent of silicon.com readers are vehemently opposed to the introduction of compulsory ID cards - yet the majority are in favour, as long as they help crack down on benefit fraud, illegal immigration and other crime.

Of those in favour of the cards a staggering 82.9 per cent of the 1,500 respondents to a silicon.com survey conducted over the past week said they believe the cards will cut down on benefit fraud. More than two thirds (67 per cent) said they believe the cards will cut down on illegal immigration.

However, despite this apparent show of support for compulsory ID cards, the most vocal commentators on the issue all tend to be from the anti-ID card lobby, with the more outlandish drawing extreme parallels with the Book of Revelations, likening ID cards to the mark of the beast.

Others have expressed concerns about 'Big Brother' watching over us, such as one reader who wrote in to say: "We will all be watched and monitored whether we are hiding something or not."

But among those in favour there is a clear feeling that such hype is clouding the issue, with 49.8 per cent claiming the 'Big Brother' concerns are being fuelled by the media, while 30 per cent claim those who oppose ID cards are being paranoid. Thirty per cent also believe those opposed are simply "afraid of change". Two thirds (65.7 per cent of respondents) said the only people who need fear ID cards are those with something to hide.

One reader wrote in to say: "All this paranoia makes me laugh! Do people really think that the police have nothing better to do with their time than monitor 'ordinary' people?"

Another reader, based in Belgium, believes it is high-time the UK caught up with the rest of Europe in implementing ID cards.

"Pretty much every other European country has official ID cards and the people living there have not lost control over their lives. On the contrary, an official ID card significantly reduces the risk of identity theft, which is a growing problem in the US and the UK where ID cards are not available."

However, that view wasn't shared by all who took the survey. Even among those who support some form of compulsory ID card there are concerns about the cards. Forty per cent agreed with the statement that 'ID cards could be open to abuse and increase the likelihood of fraud an identity theft'.

Despite that 73 per cent of those in favour of some flavour of ID card believe we will see an effective introduction of compulsory ID cards in the UK.

What is your view? Let us know by posting a Reader Comment below. silicon.com will be bringing you more on this subject, based on our recent research and other developments, over the coming weeks.