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National Biometric IDs
Jester998 writes "I just came across this article about how two U.S. congressmen want biometric identification. They're trying to avoid the controversial 'national ID' issue by creating what would be new drivers licenses with biometric information embedded. What does the Slashdot community think about having your retinal pattern embedded on a smart card?"
[16] And he shall make all, both little and great, rich and poor, freemen and bondmen, to have a character in their right hand, or on their foreheads.
[17] And that no man might buy or sell, but he that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Revelation 13:16-17
Fascism should more properly be called corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power.
DMV security is a joke. I have a friend who is 19. At 17, she went down to the DMV, told them that she was her 23 year-old cousin (Who looks nothing like her), and she got a nice 23-year old's license with her picture on it. The DMV essentially created her bar-hopping fake for her.
What's scary is how little checking the DMV does on who you really are. Biometrics would definately prevent this kind of thing. What scares me is that anyone could, upon procuring my SSN, walk into the DMV, say they're me, get a license, proceed to get points on said license, and get me arrested next time I get pulled over because according to my record, I have 4 DUIs, a slew of speeding tickets, etc.
And then there's the issue of using said ID for loans, cars, various purchases, etc. Scary.
Yeah, it makes you more identifiable. This is a Good Thing (tm) as far as I can see. It's not like the card is transmitting your stats to anyone within 15 feet - it just provides an extra layer of security.
Not that this'll really get read (it's too late in the story really), but what about people like me with retinal problems. I can still hold a valid driver's license, and drive safely. As time goes on however, my retina will degrade, and that will change. In the intum, my retinal print will look different all the time. In my case, I have large pigmented areas on my retina. The same will be true of other people with simular diseases.
The people behind the desks at places like the DMV are rather feckless. They won't understand what that is. I will never scan out to be me, I'll always be an "unknown user." Oh, unknown user would probably be constude as not a citizen or, oh say, enemy of the state.
Blah!
--Josh
There are exactly 42,935,718 letter sized sheets in a square mile.