A former US spy turned leading privacy activist has slammed the UK’s ID card plans, saying they will weaken national security and lead to abuses of government power. Bill Scannell is a former agent at the National Security Agency (NSA) and now a huge privacy advocate, currently heading up a campaign against the introduction of a national driving licence across the US. The US Real ID legislation was railroaded through Congress on the back of a budget bill, with virtually no debate or consultation, and all states must now have a standard driving licence by 2008. But already costs have spiraled way above the original $100m estimated by the government. … Speaking as a former government agent, Scannell also warned of the potential abuse of a national identity register by those in power. He said: ‘When you know what the tools of the state really are you are wary of unrestricted power. Governments abuse their power. That’s a fact.

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