With any controversial government policy you expect to have some noisy detractors.

But when the chorus of criticism is as widespread as that for the national identity card scheme, you?d think even a government with such a reputation for single-mindedness would have to listen.

The problem is not the concept of ID cards, but the purpose they serve.

In the past month, MPs from the Home Affairs committee, business leaders from the CBI and data protection watchdog the Information Commissioner have all called for greater clarity over what the cards will be used for.

The CBI last week questioned whether ID cards are expected to be a generic identification system or a response to immigration and crime. The organisation called for the government to consider how the scheme could be used for wider benefits such as online authentication, to help defeat identity theft and so boost ecommerce.

It is an objective Computing has promoted for some time.

The best way to overcome inevitable fears about ID cards heralding a Big Brother society is to use them as an opportunity to help people, rather than an imposition. The government needs to sell the idea as more than simply a reaction to terrorism. After all, a terrorist with a valid ID card is still a terrorist.

Finding ways to ensure privacy and create trust in an increasingly online world are vital to the UK?s economy, to the growth of ebusiness and to UK IT?s competitiveness.

A card that uniquely identifies an individual online could wipe out scams such as phishing. It could be the basis for a national authentication scheme to allow us to secure our personal information and eliminate many data protection issues. And it could cut down on benefit fraud and return billions of pounds to taxpayers? pockets.

The government may have stumbled onto a scheme that could act as a catalyst to make the UK a leader in exploiting the internet. All it has to do is listen.