A Look Into National ID Cards

mr.buddylee writes "Last month Slashdot reported a Popular Science story on your privacy. This month the magazine has a couple different articles about the future of security after the attacks on 9/11. Included is a very interesting read on National ID Cards which looks at possible technologies integrated into the card. For instance, how would you like a memory strip containing a digitized image of your fingerprints, your photo, your medical history and flight history stored in your wallet? All secured with what could be a less than secure Smart Card."

Comments

Nice name on the card...

[WilliamsDA]

2002 is 1984!

Biometric activation?

[DoctorFrog]

First of all it's a silly idea to carry all your information on one card, because it's a security risk and not needed just to identify you, but it got me thinking;

Would it be possible to include a biometric in smart credit card so that it won't swipe correctly unless my thumbprint has been put on it recently? That would stop a pickpocket from buying $200 worth of gasoline before I notice it's missing.

You could also have a home bio-scanning device that would be needed (maybe in addition to a password) to contact your bank for skinning off disposable numbers from your credit account to shop online with. It would be worth it to people who do a lot of online purchasing, and partcularly for small home businesses.

Bio-metric based identification systems aren't going to solve national security problems any time soon, but some of them are close enough that they could have useful applications for individuals andprivate organizations. Or are they?

Necesary and Propper

[bsDaemon]

Since Andrew Jackson the federal government has been overstepping its constitutional boundries little by little. "To control the mob is to control Rome; To control Rome is to control the mob". I campaigned for Bush. I actualy believed in him. Now I believe that he's no better than Adolph fucking Hitler. This Bearu of Homeland Security coupled with this new "citizen watch" (I don't remeber the offical name of the programme) put together a package that communist east germany would have been jealouse of.

I strongly suspect that its nearing the time to invoke our moral right to alter or abolish a government when it has become destructive to the end for which it was created, a la the Declaration of Independence.

Exactly how would these prevent "9/11"?

[A Rabid Tibetan Yak]

By all accounts the last batch of terrorists had basically good documentation -- arrived with proper visas, dotted their I's and crossed their T's. So how exactly would national ID cards stop this kind of attack happening again? "Smart Visas" would probably make a heck of a lot more sense.

I'm getting a bit sick of "The War On Terrorism (tm)" being trotted out as an universal excuse. If they want to bill the cards as cutting down on bureaucracy and red tape, or catching convicted fraudsters/thieves/etc, so be it, but otherwise, it's a bit late for kneejerk reactions.

Re:Homeland Security

[metachimp]

Yeah, it totally freaked me out. When was the last time you heard anyone say "Wow, that trip to Italy was nice, but I was sure glad to get back to my homeland!", or when have your ever heard a member of the military say "I joined the [branch of their choice], in order to defend my homeland!"

I think they were trying to appear all wholesome and homey, and I'm sure that the Heritage Foundation gave them all sorts of suggestions. What I don't like about the whole Homeland Security thing is that there's no provision for un-making a cabinet position.

The choice of Tom Ridge was interesting as well. Obviously G.W.'s way of saying, "Sorry, Tom, that Dick picked himself for VP, here's a brand-new cabinet-level position made just for you!"

I just have to wonder: Is it really necessary? Do we really need another government agency to oversee the other government agencies? I just think it's going to end up adding another layer of red tape to cut through. If the FBI couldn't get off the dime when presented with evidence that something funny was going on, what makes anyone think that adding another tier to the system will improve anything? What is Tom Ridge going to be able to do that the DCI and Director of the FBI can't? (Other than coming up with a worthless color-coding system)

Re:I have an idea

[thogard]

I remember the brian washing that went along with the "duck and cover" program that was going on until the early '70s in southern Florida. One of the reasons that the Russians were so evil was they convinced kids to turn in their parents. A line in a move made about that time (The Presidents Analyst) had a line from a Russian spy to the American spy "Ever year you become more like us, every year we become more like you. Soon there will be no difference". This is a very good movie and I expect anyone that is reading this topic is likely to enjoy it.

Re:Homeland Security

[mosch]

Both enlisted members of the citizenry to spy on their neighbors. see http://citizencorps.gov/tips.html You probably have a problem with Neighborhood Watch too, right?

There's a world of difference between an organization which attempts to stop crimes in progress and an organization which collects information on suspicious behaviours which may or may not be related to any future crime.

I find it incredibly frightening that so many seemingly intelligent people can't tell the difference between TIPS and a Neighborhood Watch.

COINTELPRO lamers infesting slashdot

[gestapo4you]

Never seen this many disinformers spinning in the ceiling before(joshki, C0LDFusion etc.). Damage control galore.

Points awarded for every lie found in their rhetoric.

Oh btw, here's one to get you started.

joshki wrote:
"I don't agree with the patriot act either. It was an ill-considered, knee-jerk reaction to a horrible situation."

The Fact is that an act like the "Patriot Act"(sic) takes more than six(6) months to put together, even if you have a dreamteam of lawyers working around the clock.
So, a "knee-jerk reaction" is NOT the proper wording here.

The Fact is that the "Patriot Act" was introduced and clubbed through over night!
NOT A SINGLE ONE of the people in the Congress were allowed to read through it before they had to decide on it. Mighty democratic!

I suggest that some people go back to school since it will take a little more than that to fool people that everything that happened on 9/11 and afterwards has just been coincidents.

Finally, for those who don't believe that there are criminals in high places in the US. Just take a look at the "Operation Northwoods" docs. JFK happened to get wind of the operation and stopped it before he "coincidentally" got his brain splattered all over his wife. As an educational excercise into corruption, compare the people involved in the Warren Commision and the people involved in the "commision" that has been put together to "bring light" into what happend on 911.

Points awarded for every correct match.

Bonus awarded for every correct answer of who's dad's name appears in that investigation too.