[JetSetIlly]

This is the most alarming aspect of the proposal to me. I find it wild that the government will require me, by law, to buy an expensive electronic device I don't want or otherwise need, in order to be employed. It's absolutely amazing to me that the government is forcing me to spend money in this way.

[crimsoneer]

There will be a physical card for time travellers from 1999 and elderly relatives

[JetSetIlly]

Hopefully there will be. That will be a good solution for people like me, who want to live uncomplicated lives in peace.

[HankStallone]

My government requires me, by law, to send it tens of thousands of dollars every year, much of it to be spent on things I don't want or need, in order to stay out of prison.

Requiring me to spend another $100 or so on a phone seems like pretty small potatoes, compared to what they intend to use the device for. I'm not saying I'd like it, but it's a detail, not the main issue.

[JetSetIlly]

It's not so much the money but rather being forced to do business with a company I do not want to do business with. If this were an optional activity, like driving a car and being forced to do business with an insurance company, that's one thing. But this will be a forced commercial interaction simply to be employed in the UK. That's a very novel abuse of power.

[iamnothere]

This is the crazy part to me. I want nothing to do with the iPhone/Android duopoly and I do not participate in it, at the cost of some personal convenience from time to time. If my own country were to implement this I’d honestly just tell them to stick me in jail. I can be a test case, why not? You have to draw the line somewhere.

[JetSetIlly]

It really is mad.

Whenever you hear someone say, "everyone has a phone these days", you must push back against that. It might seem like it to them but it's just not true. I've always chosen to point out that it isn't true because I was worried that one day, it would be become a legal requirement to own one. It seems that day has arrived, in the UK at least.

I'm a little in disbelief that I will soon be legally required to own one of these things.

[ris]

> My government requires me, by law, to send it tens of thousands of dollars every year

That's only because you have those tens of thousands to give it. The same will not generally be true for people who have nothing.