“Oh but this requires a government ID card and I’ll never allow that! Liberty, freedom, something!”
…later…
“Hello sir, you’ve just started a new job. In order for that to happen I’m going to need copies of your passport, driver’s licence, medicare card, citizenship certificate, and one recent bank statement showing your full name and address.” [Actual experience of mine, recently. Australia.]
“Sure! Here they are, which random web portal that I’ve never heard of would you like me to upload them to?”
Every job I've applied for has asked for a valid government ID, of which a driver's license is but an example. I have friends without a drivers license show their passport or green card.
> We regularly show papers for everyday activities - library card for reading books, ID for a hotel stay, driving license for driving a car, ID to pickup a parcel etc.
I don't think you live in the UK - because none of those things are true.
You can go into just about any library and read a book without showing a library card.
I've never had to show ID for a hotel stay.
My driving licence stays at home. If I want to hire a car, I generate a one-time code.
I can pick up a parcel by showing some non-ID like a bank card, utility bill, etc.
Yup. My sister in law is from, and lives, in a south-East Asian country and she had an interesting story.
She needed to register for her identity card so she went to her local police station and filled out the forms. Gets a call a week later - “oh sorry, one of the forms was filled out incorrectly, can you come back and fill it out again?”. Sure, no problem.
A week later “oh, one of the forms filled out was the wrong form. I have the right one now, can you come fill it out?”. Well this is silly, but ok.
A week later “it turns out you need a form from the district as well, please fill that out and bring it in”. This is stupid, but she does it.
A week later “oh, that form had the wrong stamp on it, you need to fill out a new form and get the right stamp”.
A this point it was obvious - she went to police station, explained that the stamp was the correct one and oh, yeah, by the way, I know you’re working hard so let me give you some coffee money ($10 USD in local currency).
It’s your ID. You’re outraged over info likely all over the internet already. Name. Address. DOB. A picture of you leaks eye color, hair color, height and weight approximation. What do they have that is secret? It’s a pharmacy, they know your entire medical history. And it’s the government, you know, the people who gave you that ID card…
Do you flip out when you buy alcohol at a store and they swipe your ID’s barcode into their POS system? Some corporation just straight up made a digital copy of your ID, off to who knows where, who, and for what reason.
Thanks for this. It makes clear the series of cyclical complications that follows "I don't have an ID and need one, but I don't have a smartphone or credit card"
1) Don't have an ID, just provide your birth certificate. Oh wait... that wasn't issued to me
2) Well I can try to order my birth certificate mailed to me. Oh wait... I don't have easy internet access, no smartphone or internet at my house.
3) I got online at the library, time to order my birth certificate. Oh wait... I don't have a credit card to pay. Maybe my birth county lets me mail cash (risky), or maybe they require me to show up in person, and potentially spend $100s on travel, in addition to missing work.
4) Okay, I go to apply for a credit card or open a bank account to pay. Oh wait... I need an ID.
It’s just that easy, huh? Here are the problems I would face when trying to get an ID from the government without having any ID.
My state’s DMV wants to see:
* One document (with full name) proving identity and date of birth. [A birth certificate.]
* One document (with full name and full Social Security number) confirming Social Security number
* Two documents (with current physical address) proving state residency
The U.S. State Department requires you to apply in person for a new passport if your old one is destroyed. Processing, issuing, and delivering it currently takes about half a year. Oh yeah, and you will need to bring your birth certificate.
I just requested a certified birth certificate from the register of deeds in my county, and they said it SHOULD be ready by December.
So, I should be able to exist again by … next summer.
> I vaguely understand why if it was needed to sign up.
Nope! Triplebyte flew me across the country, put me up in a hotel, and otherwise arranged a job for me with nothing more than my email address and a phone number. The first time I had to provide ID in the entire process was when I filled out the I-9 form on my first day at the company that had hired me.
In the UK all of my final stage interviews had me bring in an ID and National Insurance Number for a photocopy for their records. Has been for over a decade.
Seems a simple enough solution, it’s expected and it’s something the company needs in order to pay me. It’s not a start of interview hostile question, it’s usually something we sort out in the formalities, along with what equipment I’ll need or be using, sorting out ID photos.
…later…
“Hello sir, you’ve just started a new job. In order for that to happen I’m going to need copies of your passport, driver’s licence, medicare card, citizenship certificate, and one recent bank statement showing your full name and address.” [Actual experience of mine, recently. Australia.]
“Sure! Here they are, which random web portal that I’ve never heard of would you like me to upload them to?”
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