businesses to be authorised to make biometric checks on customers

This is disturbing and might make you rush to sign the pledge.

Home Office officials are considering introducing a mobile phone-based system that would allow small businesses to verify that ID cards are genuine by texting the card details to the ID database and asking the card holder to type in a Pin. However, the strategy has been questioned by some commentators, who suggested it weakened the government's claims that ID cards would stop illegal working. "A Pin is not secure. If people are trying to get work illegally, they can easily pass the same card around if they look vaguely like the photograph. I am not sure it is fit for purpose," said cross-bench peer Lord Errol.

As I keep saying; a system is only as strong as its weakest link. ID cards are going to be an expensive waste of effort leaving us with fewer civil liberties and at the mercies of grumpy officials and prying shop assistants.
Thousands of businesses to be authorised to make biometric checks on customers: On Del.icio.us: ID, ID_cards, UK, biometrics, PIN, weakness, flawed