Pubs embrace ID cards

According to this BBC article it looks like pubs will be amongst the first to embrace use of ID cards. Notice that the responses of the public all assume that this is essentially a benevolent system working on their behalf. However, suppose that one of the bouncers or the pub landlord is a crook. They could steal a lot of ID information, which can then be sold to fraudsters on the black market. The information stored on an ID card or a drivers licence is sufficient to apply for a copy of your birth certificate, or to take out loans or open bank accounts in your name.

It's claimed that the ID scanners are "secure", but as we all know security is a process, not a technology. Once you've handed over your ID details where are they stored, how long are they stored for (potentially indefinitely), who has access to the data and what other systems are data mining it (for example, insurance companies or government agencies). If you're unlucky enough to find yourself out of work during the current recession officials at the social security office might be very interested indeed to know how much you're spending on booze, and reduce the benefits for claimants deemed to be "binge drinkers" (which in the UK is just about everybody who walks into a pub on a Friday/Saturday night).