Liberty's Blog: House approves electronic ID cards

Friday, February 11, 2005

House approves electronic ID cards

As we move further toward an Orwells 1984, the House approves electronic ID cards. In the form of standardization and linking drivers licence (and any other state ID) data.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Thursday a sweeping set of rules aimed at forcing states to issue all adults federally approved electronic ID cards, including driver's licenses.

Under the rules, federal employees would reject licenses or identity cards that don't comply, which could curb Americans' access to airplanes, trains, national parks, federal courthouses and other areas controlled by the federal government. The bill was approved by a 261-161 vote.

The measure, called the Real ID Act, says that driver's licenses and other ID cards must include a digital photograph, anticounterfeiting features and undefined "machine-readable technology, with defined minimum data elements" that could include a magnetic strip or RFID tag. The Department of Homeland Security would be charged with drafting the details of the regulation.

The whole idea sounds pretty scary, but I really wonder about two things.

The fact that Congress wants to pass off the details on implementation to the Department of Homeland Security. Doing it this way takes responsablity of privacy issues, away from a Congress we can hold (somewhat) responsable, to an un accountable goverment agency. Homeland Security is going to place more importance on information gathering and feeding the 3 letter agencys than they will about privacy and information security.
RFID tags. Homeland Security and law enforcement agency's are gonna love this one. Imagine sensors put up in malls, Sporting goods stores and truckstops. One could easily track suspected crimminals and persons of interest. How about sensing equipment set up to check on customers at a car dealer ship. With social securuty information that is to be tied into this database a salesmen could prequalify customers credit worthiness. The ability ID folks without their knowing it is going to be a hustlers dream come true.

The C|Net article Continues:

States would be required to demand proof of the person's Social Security number and confirm that number with the Social Security Administration. They would also have to scan in documents showing the person's date of birth and immigration status, and create a massive store "so that the (scanned) images can be retained in electronic storage in a transferable format" permanently.

Another portion of the bill says that states would be required to link their DMV databases if they wished to receive federal funds. Among the information that must be shared: All data fields printed on drivers' licenses and identification cards, and complete drivers' histories, including motor vehicle violations, suspensions and points on licenses.

The Bush administration threw its weight behind the Real ID Act, which has been derided by some conservative and civil liberties groups as tantamount to a national ID card. The White House said in a statement this week that it "strongly supports House passage" of the bill.