ID are a common practice in Europe. Photograph: Lulwa Shalhoub.

The introduction of identity cards is one of the issues at the centre of the surveillance debate in Britain.

The Government has not been transparent enough about what information it intends to store on them and how the information will be used.

According to No2ID , a serious danger is that government agencies and even private businesses will have access to the information held on the national identity register linked to identity cards. Once they have the information, they can use it however they like.

But while many British people consider ID cards an infringement on civil liberties, as they are designed to hold information such as finger prints and immigration status, ID cards are commonly accepted in many other EU countries.

The difference is though that on the continent, identity cards are more like library cards- they just say who you are, where you live, how tall you are.

They are a convenience and in fact, many Europeans are happier with them, than without them.

In Spain, ID cards are used everywhere - from administrative offices to night clubs - and are the only official document that can be used to prove one’s identity.

Since driving licence or other documents are not allowed, ID cards are compulsory from the age of 14.

They are considered a normal part of life and are especially popular among teenagers, who consider them a sign of becoming a “grownup”.

In Italy, ID cards are not compulsory.

Authorities recommend carrying one at all time, but in practice, little use is made of them. Italians often prefer using their passport, driving license, or even their hunting license!

In Germany, obtaining an identity card is compulsory when turning 16. “Everyone is excited when they get their first ID Card.

We are proud of it and show it to everybody! Like, yeah! I am a German citizen and this is my name on this personal card,” says Thomas Hauk, a German student in London.

“It also allows you to prove that you are old enough to buy beer and cigarettes and to go to clubs.

ID cards are also a very important piece of identity in the immigrant culture.

In German rap videos, young Germans that apparently have a foreign background show their ID cards to the camera. It's like:" Look at me! I am as German as you are!”

In Poland, every citizen over 18 must have an identity card. "I have mixed feelings about it", says Tom Joseph, a Polish student in Warsaw.

"Generally I think its a great idea, it makes travelling easier. But I always hated other people knowing where I am and where I go".

In Belgium, ID cards are also compulsory from the age of 15, but are issued already to 12- year-olds.

Other documents can be used to prove one’s identity in daily life.

“I lost it once and felt kind of naked.

Nobody sees it as an incursion on your freedom. I am rather concerned with CCTVs, which I think, are worse than ID cards”, says Geraldine Courreau, City banker from Belgium.

In France, ID cards are not compulsory if one already possesses a passport, but many people own one for convenience. Small in size, they fit in a wallet and allow travelling to other European countries without a passport.

“It is extremely useful to have one, because if I lose either my passport or my identity card, I still have another ID, and I can even travel to the rest of the EU with it”, says Coralie Laporte, a French waitress in Notting Hill.

“Nobody sees it as an invasion of your privacy because, frankly, there’s no difference with a passport”, she adds.

So what’s all the fuss about in Britain?

With a quarter of world’s CCTV cameras being scattered throughout the UK, Britain seems to have hit the security trend hard.

“Anything the U.S. does, we do”, says, Nick Hay from the campaign group No2ID . “The ID cards in UK will be far worse than in the rest of Europe in terms of privacy”.

The ensuing loss of privacy is set to be much greater in Britain than in most other European countries. And for once, British citizens won’t be able to blame it on the European Union.