Hong Kong Gets Smart ID Cards

darnellmc writes: "This AP article is about Hong Kong's new smart ID cards (mandatory) with "embedded computer chips that hold names, pictures and birthdates -- as well as a digital template of both thumbprints". The picture in the article shows a man holding them and smiling. The article also mentions "Hong Kong's government backed down on proposals to have the cards carry health and bank records". The Hong Kong government hopes to add optional features like using them as driving licenses and library cards. This government learned nothing from the USA's abuse of the Social Security number, this is much worse. Hoping one card will do it all. These cards are also in the works in other countries like Finland, Malaysia and Japan where they are to be optional. Thailand is working on a mandatory card."

Comments

Re:ID Card Threat?

[tenman]

But the only places I could think of needing to use it are

That's part of the issue. It starts out needing to be used there, and then the guy who cuts your hair wants to see it, then the magazine subscription company, and then people call your house at 3AM and try to sell you something based on your card. A agree with this poster you should have a long read. Then when you say "they would never do something like that", we can all say we told you so.

Re:ID Card Threat?

[Betcour]

True - countries with ID cards are police state (all western Europe for example, including Holland) while countries without are free countries (USA for example, which has the highest percentage of jailed people in the world !).

Orwell message would be stronger if he wasn't used and abused all the time...

Re:ID Card Threat?

[Petrus]

This is a communist heaven.

Until now, the problem was - how can you control people if you cannot identify them.

I was growing in a communist country. The state 'secret' police kept file on every citizen, containing his opinions, habbits, friends and sins againts communistic ideology. This was useful for tracing, coercing, arresting and convicting individuals. Or simply such file was used when you applied for a school or job.

For instance.
We bought cars, but somwehere in the law it said that the car remains state's property. But it was hard to trace, how are you using it, e.g. do you drive it to church (subversive use!).
Can you make a car that would authenticated and started by smart card? I think, that I could engineer one in about 7 months.

Petrus

Sometimes technology makes old issues moot.

[hey!]

I think this is a good point.

Why worry about ID cards when we are talking about deploying security cameras everywhere? And what happens when face recognition software becomes good enough to pick you out in a crowd?

If anything, ID cards are less problematic than things that are going to happen -- the only difference is that technological surveillance measures will be put in place without our permission, cooperation -- or even awareness. If the police are tracking you with your ID card, at least they can't do this without disclosing that they are doing so.

Technology is putting this capability into the hands of government and private industry whether we will or no.

I'd support a national ID card now for two reasons. First, the issue of government abuse is close to being mooted by new technology. Second, introduction of such a card will slow down the adoption of less obvious surveillance measures so that we can consider how to to make the operators of those measures accountable.

Getting to the issues of smart cards, I think the problem is in placing too much trust in them. First of all, they have proved more vulnerable to cracking than we first thought. Secondly, the cards themselves are useless without systems around them to do things with the information on the cards, and the card holder has to be careful about trusting those systems with access to his card.

I think it is wise to avoid putting sensitive records (bank records in particular) on these cards, at least at the outset. Concentrate on tamper proofing them, and let organized crime get a few years to crack them when they are relatively less critical. At some point in the future we can make a more informed decision about how much to trust the cards and the systems they interface with.