UK Data Natiional Security - Essay Example

Identity cards allow cardholders to establish their identity. This is essential for procuring several goods and services. Presently the IT is used in almost all public bodies to provide their services to the people. They require information regarding the recipients of their services. This information is retained by governmental bodies1. Nevertheless, this information can also be retrieved by criminals to steal identities for fraudulent purposes. Therefore, identity fraud enables an individual to impersonate another individual.

By this impersonation the fraudulent individual can obtain the same benefits that are available genuine individuals, to which they are not entitled. Some of these provisions include social security payments, permanent residence in the UK or access to some property. In order to contain and eliminate this identity fraud, ID cards are essential2. During the Second World War, the UK government made it mandatory for every citizen to possess an ID card. These ID cards were distributed to the citizens along with ration books.

Citizens aged above sixteen years were required to carry their ID cards with them. Those who failed to carry their ID cards were subjected to prosecution, as it was a criminal offence in those days. Parents and guardians had to carry their children’s identity cards. The government had stated that the enforcement of identity cards would be discontinued after the end of the war. However, the identity cards existed until the year 1952. The people revolted against the compulsory identity card scheme and contended that this scheme was alien to the traditions of the UK3.

The proposed ID card scheme is not in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act. In an Institute of Public Policy Research conference, held in London, the Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas made this announcement. He added that a huge database of personal information would be established as part of the proposed ID