Domain: aamva.org
Stories and comments across the archive that link to aamva.org.
Comments · 27
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Goodbye privacy
Even as governments increase their secrecy, they demand increasing ability to track and spy on their subjects.
Virginia is a "pilot" state for the on-line identity system that is being promoted by Microsoft and will be used for both private and government transactions. This is being run and promoted by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).
The Cross Sector Digital Identity Initiative (CSDII), led by AAMVA is developing technology that will demonstrate the acceptance of commercial identity provider credentials by Virginia state government, including securely verifying identities online with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The pilot plans to make this technology available for voluntary access to on-line state services over the course of the project. State governments, including Virginia, are exploring leveraging commercial identity providers for secure online access to state government websites, ostensibly "as a means to improve customer service and reduce the costs associated with online identity management". In the case of sensitive government transactions, the credential is “leveled up” to higher assurances of identity verification and security.
Pilot partner Microsoft is providing a secure, privacy-enhancing cloud identity service, Customer Partner and Identity Manager (CPIM), and OpenID-based interoperable Windows Accounts to pilot participants. The pilot will also explore increasing the security of the Windows Account and other pilot interoperable credentials by enabling the Biometric Signature ID multifactor authentication solution, BioSig-ID. The BioSig-ID solution measures unique behavioral characteristics as the user draws a password on the computer screen, deriving an additional factor of authentication to supplement user name and password and thereby increasing account security in a user friendly fashion.
On the association's web site is the Policy Positions PDF document, which connects Real ID to PRISM. Page 15 includes:
4. PRISM
AAMVA supports the federal-state safety program PRISM (Performance and Registration Information Systems Management) and encourages the States to become active participants of the program. PRISM is designed to utilize the commercial vehicle registration process of the States by determining the safety fitness of the motor carrier prior to issuing license plates and by motivating the carrier to improve its safety performance either through an improvement process or the application of registration sanctions.What they don't tell you is that PRISM is the same system used for collecting and storing communications by the NSA. How convenient! So not only will they have all personal information about you, they will have all your communications integrated into one convenient data storage system.
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Technical FAIL
So, while my point about the NRVC is accurate, I missed the obvious issue that California is not a member of the NRVC. However, they do belong to the Driver License Compact. Most states belong to both the DLC and the NRVC:
Map of DLC/NRVC Member Jurisdictions
As you can see from the linked map, the net result is that your home state will yank your license if you ignore a traffic citation from California unless you are from Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, or Wisconsin. If you live in one of those states and receive a citation from California you will find that you will likely have to post bail to the Californian police officer at the time of your citation. -
Real ID and the Driver License Agreement (DLA)
When the legislation for the Real ID Act was crafted back in 2005, it was the same language that was passed by the House in 2004 concerning intel reform. It was known as the 9/11 Implementation Act of 2004 (HR10). One of the clauses required states to sign the Driver License Agreement (DLA) which states had to share their driver license databases not only between the states but also jurisdictions in Canada and Mexico. The Real ID Act language was crafted by bureaucrats within the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). When the Intel Reform legislation went to conference committee in the Fall of 2004, the biggest pissing match concerned the Real ID Act language.
Representative Sensenbrenner fought hard to retain this but lost the battle. He allowed the Intel legislation to go forward based upon a promise of a vote on his bill in 2005 which he got. It passed the house without discussion and without debate. It got over to the Senate and it sat. It got railroaded through on the Iraq War funding and tsunami bill which was a must pass bill. Sensenbrenner mentioned that even though no one wanted this, it was going to be a rider on a must pass bill and it will "ride as a passenger" on the train out of the house and be passed. He got his way !
The best thing is to toss this bad piece of law into the trash.
Now concerning the DLA, it is another badly written piece of law. Only a couple of states has signed this - CT, AR that I know of. This DLA should suffer a death as well especially with the database sharing requirement. States that are signatory to the DLA must share their DL data with all jurisdictions, not just only other DLA jurisdictions but also non-DLA jurisdictions as well. Corrupt officials in Mexico would have a field day especially if they deal with a person on vacation who happens to be licensed in a DLA state. Identity theft would be a big thing !
Both the Real ID Act and the DLA deserve a quick death. Rebellion by the states will help this greatly. -
Re:First step towards National ID
In order to roll out a nation-wide license-as-debit card program, either states will have to standardize on specific extra features like a magentic strip and what information is stored there, or licensing will have to be handled by the federal government.
The standard already exists, it just needs the other 40 or so states to adopt it.
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Re:First step towards National ID
As of today, driver's licenses and ID cards are state-specific. Layout, extra features (barcode, magnetic strip), anti-forgery techniques, etc are all decided on a state-by-state basis.
American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
http://www.aamva.org/KnowledgeCenter/Standards/usl icensetechnology.htm
20* states use mag stripes
45 states use 2D barcodes on their licenses.
15 states use both
That means 30~32* out of 50 states will not be able to tap into this credit card/driver's license idea. In other words, this will never go national, unless they're going to use 2D barcodes. And a 2D barcode is about as hard to copy as a mag strip.
*2 of those 20 states stopped issuing licenses with mag stripes. -
Re:DB Linkage Is Inevitable
The original Real ID Act legislation called for states to sign the Driver License Agreement as written by the AAMVA which would require states to share their driver license data including sensitive information such as Social Security Numbers not only with other states but also with foreign countries starting with Mexico and Canada.
If I had a say, I would repeal the law and in addition, not allow states to use Social Security Numbers in motor vehicle matters and go as far as returning to the original intent of the SS# as for management of Social Security benefits only and no other purpose. The number would not be used for credit, motor vehicle matters, businesses, etc. -
Re:A Way to get the Real ID Act to Fail
The controversial section required states to sign a new compact as written by the AAMVA which is composed of high level executives from law enforcement and motor vehicle agencies. The compact is called Driver License Agreement (DLA). The AAMVA is pushing the DLA pretty hard and we need to keep an eye on state legislatures to make sure it does not pass. The AAMVA is even using Federal money from NHTSA to get states to sign it. NHTSA is an organization in the Federal Gov't that supported draconian enforcement of traffic laws and are big proponents of a 55 mph speed limit. They also refuse to change regulations to allow our headlights to be improved and get to the level of the European spec headlamps.
In addition to the data sharing from the agreement, it would require traffic violations to be reported and ant state who has signed it MUST put it on record with POINTS. Even down to the in-consequential minor violation such as no front license plate. Most states do not put equipment, registration and parking violations on a driver's record. With the DLA, they MUST put it on.
Unlike the Driver License Compact (DLC) and the Non Resident Violator Compact (NRVC) which was written with imput from State Legislatures, the DLA was written without their input. Most states that sign those two compacts pretty well follow the views of them but some states like Colorado and a few others do not assign points for minor out of state traffic offenses. On the NRVC, another state cannot ask your home state to pull your license for blowing off such minor tickets such as parking or registration violations and it is mainly aimed for moving violations such as speeding.
The AAMVA is a Non-Governmental Organization that proposes and pushes policy very hard but yet, they are not subject to open door laws. If you go to their web site, many items related to the DLA are locked out with a Username/Password combination. When Rep. Sensenbrenner pushed the Real ID Act back in 2005, I inquired about the DLA and in no uncertain terms, I was told that is was none of my business ! -
Re:Grassroots to repeal this and how it passed
Information to contact Congress is found at this link. It is time to "Slash.dot" Congress and encourage our friends to do the same. As more people find out about this piece of $h!t law, more people will get pissed and they should demand repeal !
In addition, this Real ID Act was going to require states to sign the Driver License Agreement which would open our driving databases not only between the states but as a start, foreign countries such as Canada and Mexico as a start. A couple of states already signed the Driver License Agreement - Connecticut and Arkansas. More information can be found at WikiPedia. There is another bill to require states to sign that just passed the House, sponsored of course, by Sensenbrenner. It is HR4437 concerning Immigration. The AAMVA is a non-government organization. They push policies that affect everyone such as this DLA but if you go to their web site, most of their pages are off limits, restricted to their members. They should be required to comply with open door laws. They are especially secretive concerning the DLA. Most people if they realize what it is about would be up in arms on it. -
Incorrect
A barcode is a series of numbers the is then compared to a key in a database and returns the results.
Barcodes (especially 2D barcodes) can carry information more information than a database key. For example, many drivers licenses carry a barcode which contains personal information about the driver.
But I'm sure most of the /. population appreciates you explaining how databases work. -
What would happen here in the US
I bet that the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) would propose something like this considering it is composed of driver's license officials and law enforcement executives and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA). NHTSA was particularly upset when the national speed limit of 65/55 mph was repealed almost 10 years ago.
An interesting item is I went to the Dayton Hamfest last year, there was one vendor selling a Car Chip that recorded details on your driving. I talked with the salesman and he even mentioned one company (he would not name) mandated this in private vehicles of their employees. If you didn't like it, you don't work for the company.
With the coming Driver License Agreement as sponsored by the AAMVA and the mandate for states to join it if the Real ID Act of 2005 passes combined with this technology, it would be very difficult to retain your driver's license or maintain reasonable insurance premiums especially if you travel alot by car like I do. Even a "law abiding" driver will get nailed here and there !
I will be doing a lot of traveling this Summer such as traveling from Colorado to California and to Indiana. In Indiana, the speed limits is pretty well 55 mph except for rural interstates. The 4 lane divided highways are 55 mph and I usually do 70 to 75 mph. Currently, Colorado takes no adverse action such as points for minor out of state offenses. Here in America, since our public transportation is non-existent, the motor vehicle is the only way to get around unlike Japan or Europe. Unfortunately, it is not practical since places of employment is spread around unlike many years ago where your job was located downtown in a given district. -
Our version is the Real ID Act of 2005 in the USA
To be decided in the Senate and the House/Senate Conference Committee is the Real ID Act of 2005 sponsored by F. James Sensenbrenner. This will be a backdoor defacto National ID through your driver's license. Included is a linked database known as the Driver License Agreement as sponsored by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. States will be required to sign it in order for given state driver's license to accepted when dealing with the Federal Gov't such as boarding an airplane or train.
Included in the Driver License Agreement is sharing information not only within the US but with Canada and Mexico (pg 4, item 11 in PDF Document). Required in the database is identity theft type of information such as your Social Security number. Also the Driver License Agreement as a side "benefit" requires your state to punish you with points for a traffic offense anywhere within North America. So a speeding ticket from a vacation in Cancun, Mexico or Montreal, Quebec, Canada will tarnish your home state driving record and as an insult to injury, your insurance goes up !
There is not much time left to defeat this legislation. It is attached to HR1268 - Emergency Appropriations for Iraq, Tsunami Relief. The Senate has removed it but the House will insist on the Real ID Act of 2005 in conference committee and we need to let our Senator's know that we are against this. Information to Contact Congress web link. -
Same thing with Real ID Act - driver databases
It is the same thing with the Real ID Act of 2005 legislation (HR418) by Sensenbrenner. Section 203 requires that states must participate in the Driver License Agreement (DLA). Also states will be required to keep information on personal information like social security numbers, addresses, and driving record items such as license suspensions, points (both redundant since it is done already) and all other violations (moving, non-moving/equipment, parking) and share them with ofhter jurisdictions. In addition, it would require states to punish their drivers for out of state and out of country infractions (Canada & Mexico so far).
Not known to many people is the data will be shared with Canada and Mexico as a start. Reference DLA at the AAMVA. Look on page 4, item 11 defining jurisdiction.The sharing of personal info like SS#'s would be a great bonanza for foreigners and US people alike to abuse such as identity theft.
The Senate so far has refused to pass the legislation so it was attached to the emergency funding for Iraq War and Tsunami Relief (HR1268) since it is a must pass legislation. The House will attempt to pigeon hole the Senate to pass this contrary to their reseversations for this piece of draconian legislation. It will come up for discussion in the second week of April when the Congress reconvenes from their Easter break.
The time is now to speak against this. Contact Congress -
Re:proof of national ID?It also says the standard is used in some parts of Canada as well. Where's my tin foil hat?
Huh, what do you mean? Canada is part of North America last time I checked, and is a member of AAMVA and have been for a long time.
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Re:Yet another repugnant violation of states' righ
It even gets better. A part of this bill is the mandate that states join the "Driver License Agreement" (DLA) (PDF Document) as sponsored by the AAMVA. Not only will our driving records include personal info like SS# be available to cops within the US but also Canada and Mexico ! Also this means a traffic ticket anywhere within North America will go against your driving record at home which your insurance company will punish you for accordingly.
So, go on vacation to Cancun Mexico, get a ticket from some dickhead cop and since there are no due process rights there, get home and get boned again by your state DMV just because of him.
This DLA will be replacing the Driver License Compact (DLC) and Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC). The DLC is where your state will assess points for the out of state ticket or pull your license for the out of state DUI. The NRVC means that when you get ticketed for a violation in a different state, the cop does not have to take you to jail or make you post bond. He treats you like a resident. If you ignore the out of state ticket, the other state notifies your home DMV and your home DMV will pull your license until you take care of business in the other state.
The DLA will replace or supercede the DLC and NRVC and. The DLA will include provisions from the old compacts but however, it is more draconian. It also allows for the suspension/revokation of not only your drivers license from another state but also the suspension/revokation of your vehicle registration especially for something like ignoring the out of state parking ticket. Also, it limits due process rights such as you cannot challenge violations that are put on your record from a different state except for clerical errors. It benefits the DMV's and insurance companies.
The state I live in - Colorado participates in both compacts but however, the legislature put in limitations on the DLC to mention that points cannot be assessed for minor offenses such as speeding reported from other states. This was recognition that other states are known to abuse nonresidents for revenue enhancement, therefore, at least when the motorist gets home, he does not have to worry about home state punishement. In addition, since out of state violations are no points, they don't go on your record since another part of Colorado law does not allow zero points tickets to be recorded. The DLA would change all that.
I don't know if our legislature would be too keen to join the DLA but I can see them writing in some limitations such as not sharing all information with other states like SS#'s. However, the DLA does not allow for any exceptions. I hope our legislatures decides to skip the DLA but won't hold my breath. They already implemented most parts of the house bill anyway such as photo recognition, checking SS#, mag strip and 2 level bar code.
The only people I can see having a true complaint are the drivers who want to hide their tickets in one state from LEOs in another state. -
Yet another repugnant violation of states' rightsThe driver license changes are one thing. But it's quite another to coerce the states into passing laws they don't want to pass, or that are contrary to their state constitutions, in order to receive highway funds. Hopefully the Senate kills this quickly.
There is already a database of violators (the Nonresident Violator Compact) being shared between most of the states.
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DL Standards already in the worksThe AAMVA: American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators(AAMVA) has submitted its recommendations on uniform drivers licensing and licenses. Lots of good stuff and common sense for consistency of design, processes and procedures. Some items are of concern, especially the 'requirement' that the SSN be used as a person's personal identifier. The AAMVA does say that biometrics is not ready for prime time. More recommendations need to be requirements when it comes to sharing data outside of law enforcement. They do recommend not giving undocumented aliens a drivers license. This would seem to be a no brainer after 9/11. Wouldn't it also be abetting a crime?
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Re:wont work
It is in the intelligence legislation that is being worked out. The House version (HR10) mandates that states must participate in a new compact called the "Driver License Agreement" (DLA) which will supercede the current "Driver Licence Compact" (DLC) and the "Non-Resident Violator Compact" (NRVC). This DLA would link state driver's license databases between the US States and Territories but unknown to many people, it will link databases to Canada and Mexico as well. This is being put forth by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) which is composed not only DMV officials but also police executives and insurance companies executives.
The DLA requires a state to assess points for a violation such as speeding in a different state/Canada/Mexico. It also requires all violations to be on your motor vehicle record regardless if there are points or not. Some states like Colorado (where I live at) only put pointable offenses on record. Offenses such as not have your front tag will not show on your record. Also Colorado does not assess points for out of state tickets except alcohol realted such as DUI.
The most insidious part of this DLA is cops in different states as well as Canada and Mexico will have access to your Social Security number. Can you say identity theft !
There is very little time to oppose this. Contact Congress. The House is hell bent on passing this and the Senate needs to be encouraged to get rid of the Driver's License provisions. It is best that the intelligence legislation dies. -
Legislation for US NAFTA National ID Card-backdoorThere is legislation in the US Congress under the Intelligence Reform & 9/11 Recommendation Implementation Act which would implement a National ID through our driver's license. Here are the points:
Within 3 years, no federal agency such as the TSA shall not accept a state ID/DL unless it conforms to certain federal requirements such as collecion of SS#'s
States will be required to participate in the new compact known as the Driver License Agreement. (more on that later)
The bills are in conference committee
Information on this ID can be found at No National ID blog site
On the Driver License Agreement (DLA), it is a compact which has been worked on by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). It will facilitate the exchange of driving records between states which includes and requires points to be assessed against your driving record for an out of state offense including offenses in Mexico and Canada.Most states do this already but a few select states will take action for a Canadian ticket but no states that I know would take action for a ticket from Mexico. The work on the DLA started in 1994, around the same time that NAFTA passed. Also with the DLA, your driving record would be available to Canadian and Mexican authorities including your SS#. A corrupt Mexican cop could use your SS# to get access to your credit and can estimate your net worth and "charge" his la morida (bribe) accordingly.
The DLA is much more draconian than the current Driver License Compact (DLC) that most states operate under today. It is written in such a way that when you get a ticket in a different state, you will be punished at home even if your home state has no equivalent offense. That cannot under happen under the DLC. An example is as an Indiana driver you get a ticket in Michigan for Careless Driving. Under the DLC concept, Indiana will not assess points for the careless driving but under the DLA concept, you will get some kind of point penalty and Indiana could bump it to reckless driving.
However, there is little time to contact our "representatives" to express out objection to this. -
Re:not for me.....
I can't speak for all 50 states, but in Wisconsin the barcode on the back contains exactly the same information that is on the front of the card. Barcoding just saves typing time for the law enforcement officer. Scuffing up your barcode just means you'll be detained a bit longer when you're pulled over for speeding.
I see no need RFID on a DL. A barcode does just as well and you avoid the remote reading issue.
For more information on motor vehicle barcodes see http://www.aamva.org/standards/stdAAMVADLIdStandar d2000.asp. -
Driver's License as a form of National ID
I have been interested in this issue for many years. A heads up. There is a new model law being pushed by the AAMVA called the Driver's License Agreement (DLA). It is a compact that is suppose to replace the "Driver's License Compact (DLC)" which requires the state you are licensed in (home state) to assess a point penalty for an out of state ticket and the "Non-Resident Violator's Compact (NRVC)" which requires your home state to pull your license if you ignore an out of state ticket.
The DLA is much more draconian than than the DLC & NRVC. It also has "backdoor" provisions for a National ID Card such as minumum requirements to be on/inside a driver's license such as smart chip, biometric information. The AAMVA supported the Clinton Administration's requirement that Driver's Licenses display your Social Security Number. The DOT got as far as issuing proposed regulations but Congress refused to fund the mandate and eventually repealed it. However, Congress did not remove the provision that states had to collect the number as per the revised Welfare Act.
The DLA also will be an instrument more severly punish traffic offenders for an out of state infraction than under the current system. The NRVC cannot be used by states to pull a license for ignoring non-moving violations such as parking tickets. Also with the DLC, you could only be punished for an out of state infraction only if your home state has the exact infraction on its books as well. If you get a ticket for careless driving away from home and you home state has no such offense, you get no points. The DLA would require some form of point penalty. Also, the DLA will allow for the suspension/revokation of your car registration which is supposedly aimed at people who ignore out of state parking tickets. It also requires states to post ALL offenses on your driving record including parking tickets. Some states only post offenses that incur points on your driving record where as non-pointable offenses don't show such as a tinted window violation or not front plate.
The worst part of this DLA is it is International. It will include reciprocity with Canadian Provinces and Mexican States but the AAMVA mentioned it will not stop there. They are working on drafting aggrements between states and foreign countries which will eventually include reciprocity for traffic violations. So one day, you get a ticket from an asshole French cop or get a reckless driving ticket from a cop in Cancun Mexico since you refuse to pay a bribe, you will end up paying when you get home such as points against your license and the mandatory insurance increase because of out of country tickets. Unfortunately, coming to a state near you thanks to the DLA. The AAMVA will start pushing it very hard starting next January. -
Car Chip Web Site & Driving Transgressions
Back in May, I went to the Dayton OH Hamfest. The have many vendors there besides ham radio related. I stopped at one booth which was a company called Davis Instruments which sells a product called the "Car Chip". I was in an extended discussion with the proprieter.
The salesman mentioned that a lot of companies are requiring the device in company vehicles (I can understand since it is their property) and he even mentioned one company requires it in employee's personal vehicles as well. This is where the extended discussion came about. I asked him who the company was and he mentioned that the name cannot be divulged. The discussion went into privacy concerns such as it is none of your employer's business how you drive outside versus the emplyer's concern about you being an asset to the company.
I looked at the article and it was mentioned there was a bonus for not exceeding 75 mph. I am against the device myself. It is pretty bad that insurance companies can raise your rates without paying a claim such as getting a speeding ticket. I travel between Colorado and Indiana several times a year and when I drive, I end up driving through Kansas at 80 or 85 mph (70 mph SL) and usually drive about 80 mph in IL and IN (65 mph SL). Colorado does not recognize out of state minor violations (not yet!) which includes speeding. State to state reciprocity is another matter and is being pushed hard by the AAMVA with a legal instrument called the Driver's License Compact which is supposed to be replace by the Driver's License Agreement which requires all violations even down to parking tickets be on your driving record and also opens the door to reciprocity to foreign countries starting with Canada and Mexico. -
Tons of documentation available
I do a lot of kiosk and interactive exhibit work that utilizes magnetic stripe readers for a variety of purposes, from Fujitsu and NCR ATM machines, to POS systems from Symbol and @POS, to serial readers from MagTech to off the shelf keyboard wedge readers from ID Tech, and I never managed to run across Acidus' site when doing research. His app StripeSnoop looks fairly interesting as a tool. I wanted to point out that there is in fact a TON of information out there available from vendors and standards organizations from credit card track formatting, to ISO specs to you name it, they are all online. Its been said before, but you just need to spend a few minutes with google or talking to your hardware or software vendor and you can find what you need, you just need to dig around a bit. As an example, I recently spoke on the topic of Kiosks and Interactive exhibits at FlashForward 2004 in NY and along with some other things, I demonstrated an application for capturing track data from a keyboard wedge based card reader, and used the freely available specs from AAMVA (American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators) http://www.aamva.org and their specs available here to decode drivers license information that conforms to their standard of encoding. I have used this in a couple of recent applications. I'm about to post up a version that decodes the most useful bits of credit card info (name, card number, expiration) that would be useful for integrating into POS systems, kiosks, etc. The source files (everything is done in Macromedia Flash Mx 2004 - yes not a lot of Flash fans on slashdot - but this is another example of how to use Flash for REAL applications) and more information can be found here: http://www.impossibilities.com/blog/entry_blog-15
5 .php - everything is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 License - so have at it and start experimenting. It should be fairly simply to add in support for just about any type of track data you want to work with, at least data types that are compatible with keyboard wedge devices - its really just string manipulation and all you need to know are the rules for decoding the data. I use ID Tech's Omni Reader - a USB device that supports all three tracks and barcodes (including infrared barcodes) in one simple USB keyboard wedge device. In the example I put together, youll also find an application for using off the shelf bar code scanners like Symbols - that also hook up via a keyboard wedge interface - to look up UPC info from the free UPC Internet Database. Enjoy! -Rob -
Tons of documentation available
I do a lot of kiosk and interactive exhibit work that utilizes magnetic stripe readers for a variety of purposes, from Fujitsu and NCR ATM machines, to POS systems from Symbol and @POS, to serial readers from MagTech to off the shelf keyboard wedge readers from ID Tech, and I never managed to run across Acidus' site when doing research. His app StripeSnoop looks fairly interesting as a tool. I wanted to point out that there is in fact a TON of information out there available from vendors and standards organizations from credit card track formatting, to ISO specs to you name it, they are all online. Its been said before, but you just need to spend a few minutes with google or talking to your hardware or software vendor and you can find what you need, you just need to dig around a bit. As an example, I recently spoke on the topic of Kiosks and Interactive exhibits at FlashForward 2004 in NY and along with some other things, I demonstrated an application for capturing track data from a keyboard wedge based card reader, and used the freely available specs from AAMVA (American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators) http://www.aamva.org and their specs available here to decode drivers license information that conforms to their standard of encoding. I have used this in a couple of recent applications. I'm about to post up a version that decodes the most useful bits of credit card info (name, card number, expiration) that would be useful for integrating into POS systems, kiosks, etc. The source files (everything is done in Macromedia Flash Mx 2004 - yes not a lot of Flash fans on slashdot - but this is another example of how to use Flash for REAL applications) and more information can be found here: http://www.impossibilities.com/blog/entry_blog-15
5 .php - everything is released under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 License - so have at it and start experimenting. It should be fairly simply to add in support for just about any type of track data you want to work with, at least data types that are compatible with keyboard wedge devices - its really just string manipulation and all you need to know are the rules for decoding the data. I use ID Tech's Omni Reader - a USB device that supports all three tracks and barcodes (including infrared barcodes) in one simple USB keyboard wedge device. In the example I put together, youll also find an application for using off the shelf bar code scanners like Symbols - that also hook up via a keyboard wedge interface - to look up UPC info from the free UPC Internet Database. Enjoy! -Rob -
Article ContentsTHE SWIPE TOOLKIT: INTRO
The SWIPE Toolkit is a collection of web-based tools that sheds light on personal data collection and usage practices in the United States. The tools demonstrate the value of personal information on the open market and enable people to access information encoded on a driver's license or stored in some of the many commercial data warehouses.
Decode Your Barcode
This application unveils the mystery of the 2D barcode. Currently 39 states use 2D barcodes to digitally store personal information on the backside of drivers' licenses. What information is encoded on your license that machines can read and you cannot?
Request Your Data
Send away for your information that commercial data warehouses collect about you and sell to third party clients. What does this information look like, how accurate is it, and who is buying it? Take a look at your data files and find out for yourself. Currently we can help you send away for information from ChoicePoint, Acxiom, LocatePlus and Experian. Report back here when you receive your data and help us keep track of the companies' response times and accuracy.
Data Calculator
How much is your personal information worth? Why are you just giving it away whenever it is requested? Use this handy calculator to determine the fair market value of your data bits so you can demand proper monetary compensation. Now when you release information that will later be sold for a profit, at least you'll be getting a cut. Use this calculator here online or download it to your PDA and make calculations "on the go."
The SWIPE Toolkit is part of a larger project titled SWIPE that includes a performance, installation, and workshop. For more information about SWIPE, visit www.we-swipe.us or contact info@we-swipe.us. SWIPE is produced by Beatriz da Costa, Jamie Schulte, and Brooke Singer.
The SWIPE Toolkit is a 2003 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. (aka Ether-Ore) for its Turbulence web site. It was made possible with funding from the Jerome Foundation. And special thanks to Chris Hoofnagle for his advice and support.
Privacy Notice: We collect information only to provide the online barcode decoder service, and do not maintain the information afterwards. You will be prompted to delete your image from our server immediately after a successful decode or we do so automatically within ten minutes of service. In addition we provide a downloadable version so that you can use the "Decode Your Barcode" tool on your personal computer without any transfer of personal information at all.
link to the 38 states supported here
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Re:This is a good idea
The SWIPE Toolkit page has a link to a listing of the 39 states with barcode technology. It also lists those considering implementation of magnetic stripes and/or barcodes...
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Re:How are points going to work
Your points, etc. are fed into the Problem Driver Pointer System, a huge database maintained by AAMVA that collects all bad driver data across the US. From the web site: "PDPS is intended to assist jurisdictions in the meeting the basic tenet that each driver, nationwide, have only one driver license and one record through the cooperative exchange of problem driver information between jurisdictions."
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Re:How are points going to work
Your points, etc. are fed into the Problem Driver Pointer System, a huge database maintained by AAMVA that collects all bad driver data across the US. From the web site: "PDPS is intended to assist jurisdictions in the meeting the basic tenet that each driver, nationwide, have only one driver license and one record through the cooperative exchange of problem driver information between jurisdictions."