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Comment by johnnyanmac | Hacker News Reader

When you can't get a neutral response, the best alternative is reading both arguments and forming a consensus internally. Here's Google's supportive argument:

https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/public-policy/googl...

I won't pretend to be neutral. As long as the US populace rejects binding a proper national ID (a PROPER one, not the beyond fragile, wholly abused Social Security Number) to their internet activity, this policy is simply a landmine waiting to be stepped on, dozens of time over in quick succession. This can and does work in Asia, but because many accounts require your government ID.

To speculate on your UK laws, that ID difference may be another piece of the puzzle that made this easier to draft a law for over there.

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When it comes to getting a neutral response, the advice risks falling into the middle ground fallacy, where people might mistakenly believe that the truth always lies between two opposing arguments. Most people, myself included, don’t have the expertise to fully grasp complex issues, and there's no shame in that—we can’t expect everyone to be well-versed in every subject. This can make it tough to determine which side is more credible, leading to confusion or a false sense that both sides are equally valid, even when they’re not.

Well, it really falls on the individual. If you read both sides and realize "yeah, it's fine to protect the children by any means necessary", I wouldn't consider that radicalization so much as that person's own pre-existing philosophies.

But yes, I highly doubt you won't at least gain some sympathy for both sides of you read both spins. I'm not an expert on law and don't have the money to consult a writer versed in law to "explain to me in detail that I can understand". The next best is simply consuming a variety of content and understanding yourself at the end of the day. Someone looking for nuance to begin with like the GP probably is less prone to radicalization to begin with.

The UK also massively rejects the idea of a national ID. Makes it harder to implement and interact with government services, but, you know:

> Hacker: How will the other countries feel about identity papers? Won't they resist too?

> Sir Humphrey: The Germans will love it, the French will ignore it, and the Italians and the Irish will be too chaotic to enforce it. Only the British will resent it.

The UK has no national ID - it is still a disaster waiting to happen, but it is worth noting that most of the worst effects are still under consultation by the regulator and not being enforced. It is still possible it fails under judicial review at some point (given how atrociously drafted it is).

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