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Proposal for
maintained to the highest standard. (We
have since discovered that the cost of a
new, clean database would be prohibitive,
hence we have changed the plan to reuse
Britain
While we may currently suggest
that the identity card will not be compulsory
to carry, we can change this at any time in
the future by means of an Order in
Parliament through the Statutory Instrument
(Draft – H i g h l y C o n f i d e n t i a l)
process. If we urge the general public that
compulsion is necessary as an essential
requirement in the war on terror, for
We the government of Britain believe the
example, this can be considered a minor
British population through failures of past
issue and a mere formality at present.
governments and the concomitant
disintegration of society, disregard for the As we create the National Identity
law, and disrespect of authority to be Register (NIR), which is a new, clean
fundamentally untrustworthy, fraudulent, computer database to be set up and
dishonest, and criminal, in rising levels of maintained by government-approved
anti-social behaviour. No citizen can be contractors and based on existing
relied upon to abide by the rules. We databases, the key points which describe
therefore aim to enforce those rules by every citizen's identity will be recorded. In
means of the closest possible surveillance of fact, we aim to have at least 50 items of
all citizens and their movements. Initially, we personal data held on each and every citizen
intend to cover only activities outside the in the country. Failure to maintain that data
domestic dwelling, but there will be and keep it up to date will render a citizen
provisions later on to include all activity, liable to a significant fine with other
whether within the home, or outside it. repercussions should the fine not be paid. It
How can we do this? The answer is envisaged that the data will eventually
include various forms of biometric
lies in the power of information technology.
information, such as iris scans, fingerprints,
Over the past twenty years IT has made
facial mapping and DNA. Indeed, the
enormous strides. A single personal
previous Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has
computer contains far more computing
called for all citizens’ DNA to be stored,
power than all the mainframes that existed in
“regardless of whether they have ever been
the 1950s. We intend to harness that power
convicted of a crime.”
in order to enforce our rules and create a
just, orderly and cohesive society. Once we have a sizeable number
Since most rule-breaking of the population assimilated in this manner
activities can be tracked or monitored by and we have issued an Order in Parliament
to effect the compulsory carrying of the card
means of computer technology, that is
and showing it on demand to any official,
exactly what we intend shall happen.
whether working for, or on behalf of, the
Wherever it is possible to use technology to
government in whatever capacity, the next
check on a citizen's prior, ongoing, or
stages will become possible. Recording
presumed future actions and behaviour,
transactions of all kinds will be a trivial
those checks will be made.
exercise as it will be a purely electronic,
However, although we may not
automated process. The identity card may
know what further advances in technology
be required at all retail or service points, as
will yet materialise, what we can be sure of
is currently done generally with credit, debit
is that it will be essential to know who and
Policy Review A New Proposal for Governing Britain 2
or store cards, and the transaction will be • Purchase of morning-after pill when
immediately recorded in the citizen's record citizen is underage
on the NIR.
If cash payment methods are • Purchase of cigarettes within an area
slowly withdrawn over several years and covered by a smoking ban
electronic payment becomes first the norm,
and then mandatory, with no cash in • Purchase of domestic heating oil or
circulation or difficult to obtain (e.g. by paraffin liable to be used illegally, such
deterring citizens from using cash through as for fuelling vehicles for non-
high penalty fees levied to withdraw money agricultural use
at ATMs or to pay bills other than by Direct
Debit), all commercial interaction by the • Purchase of sexual content
citizen will be recordable, whether he or she
is buying goods and services online or at • Purchase of political content
actual retail outlets or service points. In
addition, use of the card can be made • Purchase of certain newspapers,
mandatory for gaining access to public journals and books
libraries and buildings, hospitals, places of
worship, government offices, and any other • Purchase of membership to any
place deemed necessary to include. organisation, club, or association
As this data record for each
citizen can be scanned by powerful software • Purchase of unusual substances,
programs using artificial intelligence, fuzzy ingredients, recipes or instructions
matching, probability/trend calculation, and
other methods, it will be a simple exercise • Purchase while disqualified of vehicles,
for data mining to pinpoint all kinds of fuel, components, or accessories
potentially suspicious behaviour, such as:
• Travel outside home area unless to or
• Purchase of certain household or from employment where citizen is of
agricultural chemicals working age
• Purchase of tools and equipment, • Excessive travel for unexplained
including pliers, cutters, hammers reasons, or unusual journey patterns or
modes of transport
• Purchase of accommodation, whether
renting, buying, or temporary residence • Curtailing travel before allotted
in hotels, boarding houses, and holiday destination, or failure to use pre-booked
cottages tickets
• Purchase and disposal of vehicles, • Failure to return from destination as per
guns, knives, and any other similar item return ticket allocation
• Purchase of luggage of any kind This partial list only covers some of the
important areas we shall be including,
• Purchase of containers of any kind that however further refinements to the system
could be used for suspicious purposes may use silent Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) technology, possibly
• Purchase of alcohol when citizen is built into the card from the outset, to:
underage or associating with any
underaged citizen who has had previous • Detect any citizen entering or frequently
known access to alcohol being within the confines of a meeting
hall, place of worship, cinema,
• Purchase of condoms or any other entertainment centre, theatre, or any
contraception when citizen is underage other similar venue
Policy Review A New Proposal for Governing Britain 3