how can i ensure only one user account per UK resident is created on my website?

Question

Does anyone have any ideas as how I could limit a user account on my website to one account per UK citizen?

I have approached the uk Eectoral Roll (http://www.theukelectoralroll.co.uk/) and several other similar companies to ask them how much it would cost to search their database for a positive match when an account is created on my site but I have had no reply from any of them.

Any other ideas would really be appreciated if I can't go down this route.

Answer 1

That's a difficult requirement. I would ask is it really required that some one can not register twice? What harm will it do to your website?

There is no technological method to do this. You would have to do some kind of physical identity verification system, eg "send us a copy of the front page of your passport". Even then you could potentially have one person register several times - I'm sure some people will have more than one passport with different names.

Answer 2

I'd guess the combination of name, phone number, e-mail address and normal address should be quite unique?

There is no guarantee you'll have unique users, for example a father and son living at home, sharing his fathers name and using a family e-mail (although the son might be a Jr. in that case, I don't really know about that), but the chance you'll have duplicates is extremely small.

I cannot think of any other way except physical confirmation.