Debate ID cards 'or scrap them'

There needs to be serious debate about the government's controversial identity card scheme - or it should be scrapped, according to an influential think tank.

A report from Demos said meaningful engagement with the public about how the technology should work must be foremost in shaping what the cards do, if ID card scheme is to go ahead.

"There needs to be a serious, renewed debate about the identity card scheme, with the kind of engagement that should have happened at the start of the process. Otherwise, the scheme should be dropped," the Demos report FYI: The new politics of personal information said.

It said there needs to be more open consideration of what kind of information the cards would hold, why, and in what circumstances they will be used.

The report from Demos said personal information has become central to how we live - from online banking to social networking - and this is creating a trend towards personal, tailored services - and a society "dominated by different forms of information gathering".

Demos argues there is a need for better debate about the boundaries, rights and responsibilities that regulate the use of this personal information

It said the government should develop a more coherent strategy around personal information use, which clarifies the links between how government will use personal information and the potential benefits or costs to individuals.

Each government department using personal information should say how they are accessing personal information, while the powers of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) should be strengthened, for example to include the ability to audit organisations' use of personal information without needing their consent, the report said.