Developing the technology for the UK Government's proposed smart ID card could take years and play into the hands of criminal gangs.

This warning came from experts.

Last week, Home Secretary David Blunkett published a consultation paper on the introduction of "entitlement cards", which will use biometric technology in a bid to cut benefit fraud, fight illegal immigration and end to identity fraud.

The Government favours computerised cards that could store a photograph, fingerprints and personal information, including name and address.

However, it is estimated basic plastic cards would cost £1.3 billion to develop over a number of years, while the bill for cards to hold data like fingerprints and iris patterns could be about £3.1 billion.

Biometrics is a technology that verifies a person's identity by checking unique biological traits using signature verification, retinal/iris scanning, DNA identification, voice or faceshape recognition and fingerprint identification Fingerprints have become the biometric of choice because it is well understood by experts and familiar to citizens and consumers.

The only difference with electronic fingerprints is you place your hand on a scanner instead of dipping your fingers in ink.

Iris scans, where a camera examines an individual's retina for identifying characteristics, are probably more reliable but the technology, which requires people to stare into a tiny camera, puts many people off.

Although seen as superior to today's lower technology identification methods, like passwords, PIN numbers, key cards and smart cards, current biometrics are not foolproof and privacy advocates have argued against keeping finger, face and voice-prints on record.

Experts have warned that, although biometrics have been successfully used by companies and organisations around the world, it could be difficult to implement a system for the UK's population of almost 60 million people and could help criminals, rather than deter them.

Privacy International, a global privacy and technology watchdog, has been studying the implications of ID cards worldwide for 12 years.

It warned the introduction of a national ID card would create new opportunities for criminal syndicates, which have increasing technical know-how, to increase the problem of false identification in the United Kingdom.

Privacy International director Simon Davies said: "The technology gap between governments and organised crime has narrowed to such an extent even the most highly-secure cards are available as blanks weeks after their introduction.

"Criminals and terrorists can more freely and with greater safety with several fake 'official'

identities than in a country using multiple forms of 'lowvalue'

ID, such as a birth certificate."

The technology would not prevent people buying and selling cards on the black market.

Mr Davies said: "The higher the stated integrity of a card, the greater its value to criminals and illegal immigrants.

"A high-value card attracts substantially larger investment in corruption and counterfeit activity."

The UK Passport Service and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency are already planning a database using either an iris scan or fingerprints by 2006.

Peter Cox, chief executive of Lewes-based ID Data, the world's sixth-largest manufacturer of microchip cards, said: "It may sound a considerable undertaking but other countries have implemented similar schemes and all the technologies involved are already in use."

ID Data estimates a national identity card system would take about a year to implement, preceded by a three-month accreditation process.

Each qualifying adult would receive a fully-encrypted card within 15 months.

www.homeoffice.gov.uk
www.privacyinternational.org