I've been reading several posts about the UK not requiring an ID, I get it but when researching the drinking age in the UK it's 18 and they require an ID. If an ID isn't available or wanted then what's used to verify the age of 18 and up? I'm missing something here.
The "validateUK" scheme has been designed with this in mind. IF someone has trouble in pubs because they "look too young", they can get this card, and this is accepted as proof they are over 18, and eligible to buy alcohol, tobacco, and restricted items such as kitchen knives & solvents.
If someone does NOT have such trouble, they can choose NOT to have the ID card.
HI PV
the new driving license does have a picture on it, but the old ones dont.
also when u goin to uni you get a picture ID, but this is for 17 year olds upwards. again this is a newish thing..
ID is very lax in the UK and ID theft is crazy..
I had a uni picture ID in 1979, it's an old idea, but for a long time this was never an issue because pubs were far more lax about serving younger people, and would often take it on trust if they were told they were 18, unless it was "bleedin' obvious" they were not.
The strengthening of age restriction laws has created a need for people to be able to prove they have reached the ages of 16 and 18. Given that the legal age for GAMBLING is 18+ in the UK, the validateUK card is suitable proof of age for this purpose, and when cross checked with supporting documents would fulfil the role of proving ID remotely with the same degree of security as the current Drivers licence + utility bill/bank statement combo.
Sadly, the problem doesn't end there. Whilst we have the validateUK universal (but voluntary) national photo ID card, we are LOSING things like snail mail utility bills and bank statements. Many are now sent via email as PDF files, rather than being printed off and posted. The PDF files are NOT an online "screenshot" statement, but an EXACT replica of what would otherwise have been posted out, thus they bear all the relevant fields such as date of issue and mailing address.
There is soon only going to be ONE way the casinos can be 100% sure of address, which is THEY post something UNIQUE to the player, and get them to either scan it & send back a copy, or type in a code of sufficient standard that it cannot be guessed, or generated by "key generator" software, such as is sometimes used to validate pirate software.
ID theft is "crazy" in the UK, but it is NOT just because we have no ID card. Even if we DID, the danger would then exist that the ID thieves would steal our data, and then get a fake ID card, making it even EASIER for them to pass scrutiny. Already they have no problem getting fakes for such "secure" documents as Drivers licence and even passports.
Partly to blame is the sheer carelessness of COMPANIES that hold and process our data, the numerous laptops "lost" by government officials, sending personal data ON CD BY ROYAL MAIL
, insecure firewalls protecting databases, poor vetting of staff granted access to sensitive areas, poor training - leaving data exposed to "blaggers".
This stellar incompetence is why there is such strong opposition to the proposed alternative to ID cards, the "National database" that would hold all the information about us in one place.
The other worry is "function creep", as happened with the UK CRIMINAL DNA database, whose function was allowed to "creep" towards a national DNA database until the European court reigned the UK government in by saying that ONLY the DNA of CONVICTED persons could be held "forever".
People are worried that "function creep" will turn a "harmless" ID card or database into something that can be used to restrict/record our every movement and action, and with the additional fear that the data will be released to wider and wider groups of organisations, perhaps to the extent that we are persecuted by petty officialdom every waking (and even sleeping) hour of our lives.
Other countries are different, they are used to ID cards, BUT how popular are they? Have governments misused them, or engineered "function creep"?
I am IN FAVOUR of a nationally and INTERNATIONALLY recognised UK ID card, BUT it would have to be RUN PROPERLY, and there would have to be rights to check & correct the data, as currently exist with our credit files. It would have to be robust enough to stamp out much ID theft, and there would have to be EFFECTIVE safeguards in place to protect our data, and EFFECTIVE sanctions against those who expose this sensitive data to those not authorised to have it - "sorry", and a cover up, is NOT good enough.
The laws surrounding it should NOT be so draconian as to punish mere mistakes, such as nipping out in the "wrong trousers", and not having it with you.
