ID, Please
Exclusive from: Thu May 19, 3:00 AM ET


Brad Grimes

If someone asks for your ID (and you're of driving age), you probably whip out your driver's license. In personal identification circles, what you obtain from your state's department of motor vehicles is considered a de facto national ID because most adults carry one and most places that require ID accept it.


But it's not really a national ID. Each state has its own DMV, with its own computer systems, and its own unique license characteristics for protecting their integrity. Not surprisingly in the post 9/11 age, there are those in government who wish we'd all just carry a single, United States ID card--maybe even one that contains biometric data about us.


Welcome to Real ID

Earlier this month, Congress passed the Real ID Act, which President Bush promptly signed into law. In fact, the House of Representatives passed the act several months earlier, but because of the controversy such an ID card engenders--mainly around privacy issues--the Real ID Act was subsequently tacked onto a bill authorizing money for troops in Iraq. Because no politician in their right mind is going to deny money to the troops, the Real ID Act became law.


Put simply, starting in 2008, you may need a new driver's license. Anyone living and working in the United States will use a federally approved ID card for everything from boarding a plane to opening a video rental account. It's possible some current state IDs will meet federal standards, but others will need an overhaul.


Should You Care?

So what's the big deal, aside from the prospect of huge lines at the DMV? The Real ID Act, as it's currently written, says each ID must contain unspecified "machine readable" information. No one knows yet what that information will be or what kind of machines will be reading it, but the Homeland Security Department gets to choose. And the department is currently experimenting with all the latest high-tech ways of identifying you.


It might be that the new ID just has a magnetic stripe with your name, address, Social Security Number, etc. Or it could carry a radio frequency identification tag, such as the one the State Department wants embedded in new passports. During congressional debates, Representative Ron Paul (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas, worried that RFID technology would lead to an ID that carries far more information on a microchip than current licenses carry, including digital fingerprints or retinal scans.


What's the Big Deal?

Privacy advocates worry about, among other things, a scenario like this: If your ID is suddenly machine readable, anyone with the right machine can collect the data it contains. Today if you go into a bar, for example, the only way most bouncers can get your name, address, or other personal information is to write it down longhand or type it into a computer. On a busy Saturday night, who has time for that? But if the ID is machine-readable, and the bar sets up the right scanner, all the bouncer has to do is swipe your ID and the bar could start sending you targeted mailings.


Experts also worry that the new ID will effectively create a national database of personal information, because states will be required to share information with the federal government. Some say that much information in one place could be a boon for identity thieves.


But it may never come to that. With the right rules and regulations in place, you should be able to rest assured that the new ID you'll get in the coming years won't be abused. It's too early to push the panic button--even vigilant watchdogs such as the American Civil Liberties Union are just beginning to explore ways of defending citizens against privacy issues related to the IDs. But the prospect of a new national ID system is something everyone should stay informed on.


Former PC World executive editor Brad Grimes covers technology in government for Government Computer News in Washington, D.C.

razorren, thanks for posting this information. I'm wondering about those in our country who are quite independent who will not want this kind of ID card...I mean we have a neighbor who is quite eccentric and very private and I am pretty sure he will not want to get this ID card.

He isn't even an SDA. I imagine there will be people like him who will balk at having to get this card. And then I know there are those States within the USA who are balking at having to completely change their computer systems, etc. and they have said publicly that they will NOT require those living in their States to get this card.

Should be interesting how the government will "enforce" this new law.

Hi Debbie. It's signed into law, so there is only a matter of time before it is fully implemented and enforced.

The thing about these 'extreme' changes is that it only takes some type of crisis to make even the most 'eccentric and very private' accept and even welcome the change in the name of patriotism and continued prosperity.

How many people would have agreed to a Dept of Homeland Security, expanded powers for the FBI, CIA or even the Iraq war if Sept 11th didn't happen? And we all know that the crisis that looms on the horizon will be far far worse and it will be one calamity after the other. Enough to make people welcome anything that will return their peace, security and prosperity.

The clock continues to tick toward mid-night.

--Ren

I remember hearing that my grand father back in the 30's thought getting a Social Security card was somehow dancing with the devil, he finally relented and obtained one.

This Real ID card is much more sinister IMO, especially it there is some sort of radio frequency identification tag in it. If you are required to always carry the card then in theory your movements could be tracked with it. The implications of this are obvious to any SDA. But at the same time there have been things in the past that scared us and they did not pan out however there are things happening now, like the power of the papacy and 9-11 and it's aftermath that point to the world ending sooner rather than later. At least we can sure hope so.

Redfog

Unless such a card comes with batteies, it wont track you any more than say your credit card already does...

US wants to be able to access Britons' ID cards
By Kim Sengupta
27 May 2005


The United States wants Britain's proposed identity cards to have the same microchip and technology as the ones used on American documents.

The aim of getting the same microchip is to ensure compatability in screening terrorist suspects. But it will also mean that information contained in the British cards can be accessed across the Atlantic.

Michael Chertoff, the newly appointed US Secretary for Homeland Security, has already had talks with the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, and the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, to discuss the matter.

Mr Chertoff said yesterday that it was vital to seek compatibility, holding up the example of the "video war" of 25 years ago, when VHS and Betamax were in fierce competition to win the status of industry standard for video recording systems.

"I certainly hope we have the same chip... It would be very bad if we all invested huge amounts of money in biometric systems and they didn't work with each other.Hopefully, we are not going to do VHS and Betamax with our chips. I was one of the ones who bought Betamax, and that's now in the garbage," he said.

Mr Chertoff also proposed that British citizens wishing to visit the US should consider entering a "Trusted Traveller" scheme. Under this, they would forward their details to the US embassy to be vetted. If successful, they would receive a document allowing "fast- tracking" through the US immigration system.

A pilot scheme will start within a few months between the US and the Netherlands, allowing Dutch visitors to use a Trusted Traveller card to enter the US without being subjected to further questioning or screening.

Britain is one of 27 countries whose citizens do not need visas to enter the US if they intend to stay less than 90 days. The American government has said it wants 27 to issue new passports by 26 October this year containing a computer chip and a digital photograph.

Mr Chertoff said compatability and the checking system was intended purely to track down "terrorists and criminals" and the main aim was to provide a "fair and reasonable system".

US diplomatic sources stated later that Washington did not wish to interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries.

"When we screen based on names, we're screening on the most primitive and least technological basis of identification - it's the most susceptible to misspelling, or people changing their identity, or fraud," he said.

The scheme will also, say diplomats, ease confusion over who exactly constitutes a suspect. The most high-profile case was that of Yusuf Islam, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, who was barred from entering the US because his activities "could be potentially linked to terrorism". The British government is insistent that Mr Islam had no such links.

However, this is the latest controversy to surround Britain's proposed combined identity card and passport due to be introduced in three years' time. Rising costs have pushed the cost up to £93 each after the overall estimated 10-year cost of the project grew from £3.1bn to £ 5.8 bn.

There have also been problems over the effectiveness of the biometric technology which is supposed to safeguard the security of the cards. There were also verification problems with 30 per cent of those whose fingerprint was taken during an enrolment trial of 10,000 volunteers.
27 May 2005 12:24

O_____O if America starts doing this, its quite likely other countries will too. Australia and Britian already follow American around like a dog, and if America just pushes for her allies to get into this system, then it'll start poping up everywhere.

*shudders* what if this became your credit card as well... so then they could stop you from buying and selling with just one card? =| all they'd do is swipe it into the computer, the computer reads you're an SDA but the person at the checkout doesn't, and it won't then consquently let you into your funds, so they just think your cards gone bust o.O Because the government ain't probably gonna bother finding every little SDA and then enter them into a computer which stops SDA credit cards. They'd probably get everyones religions somehow printed onto the card and put one big swipe over them all at the press of a button.

Well now that Windmill just insulted Australia and Britain Windmill I think you have the right idea of what can happen someday. BTW I have some good friends that run a windmill museum.

Redfog

This past week I had a conversation with a very highly ranked RCMP member who stated that he was involved with a committee that is overseeing a 75-100 million dollar program a "National Identification program". (wow now that was a "run-on" sentence)
-My contact also stated that due to changes that came about from 9/11, that Canada has a very high end communication group (RCMP and military) with the USA. Also that the citizen now has less personal rights in Canada than any other time in this Nations history!
-Could this be a further sign that a "one world order" is going to strive to "rule the earth"?