Latest from NO2ID

In a context of growing unease and opposition to ID Cards and the ongoing escalation in the harvesting of people’s personal information by government and non-government agencies, the hunt is on for an advertising agency to ‘sell’ the idea of ID Cards no doubt using all of the hype, spin and misinformation at their disposal - advertising agencies stock in trade. NO2ID’s latest poll shows that the opposition to government data-trafficking is 2 to 1.

Another County Council has voted against ID Cards. Surrey County Council has voted against them by 44 votes to 20, with just 2 abstentions, pledging that it would not participate in the scheme unless made to do so by law. Of course it will come to that, but the message from council members is quite clear. Stephen Cooksey of the County Council put his feelings on record by saying that "The motion may appear to be a small step of defiance against unacceptable government intrusion into our private lives but many other local authorities throughout the country have already taken action and together send an important message to the central government that local government values the freedom of individuals and their right to privacy; values its relationship with the citizens that it serves and will do everything possible to prevent that relationship being undermined."

Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Stockton-on-Tees, Leeds, Plymouth, Coventry and London are all to get a taste of a surreal but not too far distant future as the Kali Theatre Company take their latest creation on the road. ‘Another Paradise’ is set in the context of a society in which ID Cards are mandatory and citizens can only be validated by their digital ID in a National Identity Database. I hope that more authors, playwrights and dramatists stage these kinds of scenarios in an accurate and convincing light as they can be powerful tools in illustrating the harsh realities that such legislature will bring and counter the cloud-cuckoo hype that an eventually-appointed advertising agency will no doubt have to devise into promoting ID Cards.

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