AlisonW ♿🏳️‍🌈♾️Sep 25, 2025

ID cards are bad. Very bad.

1. Once they exist it will become necessary to always carry it. If you don't you must have something to hide, etc.
2. They can't stop people working in the 'black economy' because people currently employing those working for cash don't care.
3. It is another attack on trans and NB people (very unlikely someone would be allowed to have multiple IDs)
4. Massive data loss of personal information is highly likely.
5. Who pays? Why should they?
6. Police state becomes more likely with having your ID inspected whenever a copper wants to harass someone, especially POC.
7. OTHER OPTIONS ALREADY EXIST!

ID cards are a very bad, very dangerous, very expensive, and very risky idea.

ps I'm not a 'Brit'. I'm British, or more specifically English!
#IDcards #PoliceStateUK #BritCard

Show threadEdzillaSep 25, 2025
@AlisonW
I'm curious, as a Belgian with a mandatory ID card (and French, same situation), it's never felt like such a huge issue.
You can get your gender changed fairly easily and it is reflected on the ID card. and it makes identifying with online government services much easier. (think taxes, unemployment benefits, etc)
It has zero impact on taxes avoidance or anything like that but at least in Belgium it was never meant to so that's ok.
Show threadCFySep 25, 2025

@edzilla @AlisonW

Same curiosity from a German perspective here - it is not mandatory to carry the ID card, but easy to do and good if you need proof of ID or proof of address (e.g. picking up a parcel, opening an account...)
Having lived in the UK for many years, I know that the driving licence is used there for the same purpose, but I find it discriminatory against people who don't have one. Never understood why the British are so against IDs.

Show threadCFySep 25, 2025
@edzilla @AlisonW
Also just checked: the German ID card doesn't specify gender - so why would you need multiple if you're trans / NB?
Show threadJon PENNYCOOKSep 25, 2025
@cfy @edzilla @AlisonW I can imagine the British Government not learning any lessons from Germany - they will probably have too much sensitive information on the card/app itself, and make it really difficult to change anything.
Show threadCFy
@jonpsp @edzilla @AlisonW
That is unfortunately possible - data protection laws in Germany are infinitely stricter than in UK.
Sep 25, 2025 at 8:00pmWeb