behold!! another rant about id verification .
if you do cough up your ID, and when - not if, WHEN - it gets stolen in a breach, the people who get a hold of it can copy it indefinitely. they can sell as many copies as they're able to, in quaint little packs on some digital black market.
and whoever gets a copy of your ID can
open a new bank account in your name
get a credit card in your name
take out a loan in your name
with which they can
buy illegal items in your name (anything from drugs to guns to csam)
donate to terrorist groups in your name
use your imagination really!
and you will be the suspect because it will be done using your ID so the feds will target you first, until you can prove it wasn't you
your reputation will be ruined - after all, if someone is suspected of, say, owning csam, people usually only hear "this person got caught with csam!" even if you manage to clear your name, many people won't realize it isn't true. they will continue to assume the worst about you. even suspicions and accusations regarding these things, even if they are proven to be false, can ruin your life forever.
your credit will be ruined
loan sharks will come after you for the money they loaned someone that made them think you were taking out the loan.
there's a reason politicians always make exemptions for themselves! they know the risks. they just don't care if it happens to you.
