On: Google will soon ask Australian users to show ID to view some content

[cr1895]

> passports are essentially a national ID system

Not very helpful as a national ID if they are a relative rarity

[Broken_Hippo → cr1895]

That is only because the average person is priced out of it, honestly. If I remember correctly, it cost around days work if you make minimum wage.

[NoSorryCannot → Broken_Hippo]

Right, but I think the concept of a national ID necessarily has the property of everyone (as close as is feasible) having one because it is required and they should be stable across time. Passports are optional, they expire, and they aren't stable. Not everyone can get an American passport (e.g., non-citizens).

Tax IDs are as close as we've got.