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I am not mad at them for asking for my ID, but in the US that is (in my opinion) the big sign of intrusiveness. When they want to scare people, they say "the p

I am not mad at them for asking for my ID, but in the US that is (in my opinion) the big sign of intrusiveness. When they want to scare people, they say "the police will start asking ordinary citizens for ID". Its a huge deal when the pharmacist asks for ID for a controlled substance. And add to that the privacy culture here (on HN and in tech circles). I would rather pay a few extra bucks for now. But if they dropped the requirement I would use it. I bet I am not alone and there are many others who feel the same.

dx034 9y ago
I think that's down to cultural differences. In Germany, everyone has an ID and you need your ID to open any bank account or even as proof of age. Showing your ID to someone is just confirming who you are. In other countries (esp UK, US) that's very different. So asking for ID is not very intrusive for Hetzner (as they're German) but it's perceived very different by others.
- projectramo 9y ago
  I agree (although in the US, ID is used for bank accounts and proof of age). I wonder if it would feel different if they didn't ask for a copy of the ID, but just had someone look at it. I think it also feels different because no one else asks for it (VULTR, AWS, Dig Ocean, etc) Also a drivers license feels less intrusive (for whatever reason) than a passport, and I believe for foreigners they want a passport.
- skykooler 9y ago
  I remember being surprised when visiting Germany that a passport was required to get a prepaid SIM card.
- gowld 9y ago
  Ironically, German history is the reason why Americans are wary of National ID cards. USA uses ID cards for banking and employment though.
  - isostatic 9y ago
    The US seems to uses SSN everywhere. The problem isn't necessarily a national ID card (after all most people have driving licenses, passports, etc). The problem is the data that's all linked and available to governments. In today's world, where facebook knows far more than any government can, heroes like René Carmille become more and more important.

dx034 9y ago

I think that's down to cultural differences. In Germany, everyone has an ID and you need your ID to open any bank account or even as proof of age. Showing your ID to someone is just confirming who you are. In other countries (esp UK, US) that's very different. So asking for ID is not very intrusive for Hetzner (as they're German) but it's perceived very different by others.

projectramo 9y ago
I agree (although in the US, ID is used for bank accounts and proof of age). I wonder if it would feel different if they didn't ask for a copy of the ID, but just had someone look at it. I think it also feels different because no one else asks for it (VULTR, AWS, Dig Ocean, etc) Also a drivers license feels less intrusive (for whatever reason) than a passport, and I believe for foreigners they want a passport.
skykooler 9y ago
I remember being surprised when visiting Germany that a passport was required to get a prepaid SIM card.
gowld 9y ago
Ironically, German history is the reason why Americans are wary of National ID cards. USA uses ID cards for banking and employment though.
- isostatic 9y ago
  The US seems to uses SSN everywhere. The problem isn't necessarily a national ID card (after all most people have driving licenses, passports, etc). The problem is the data that's all linked and available to governments. In today's world, where facebook knows far more than any government can, heroes like René Carmille become more and more important.