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Estonia Tests "Contactless" ID-Cards

Posted by timothy on from the man-exists-for-the-state dept.

borkee writes "Estonian MEAC and CMB start testing a new version of a national ID card containing what they call 'contactless' extensions. Although they do not specifically disclose to us, taxpayers, what technology is used there, it must be quite obvious that it's nothing less than RFID. Add to this, they'll have person's biometrics in memory. (Security gurus of course know: biometrics just don't work.) Soon you can track us poor Estonians by our GSM phones and by our ID cards too!"

19 of 251 comments (clear)

  1. In Soviet Estonia.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    ..card contact YOU!

    --=-- CSLib Menace --=--

    1. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by Richard+Dick+Head · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      I think you mean Estonia was in the USSR.

      --
      The real path to male liberation
    2. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      If i'm up early and awake enough to actually get FP, I try to at least get the facts straight. Even when it's just basically a meme/history crossover post.

      --=-- CSLib Menace --=--
      (+1 Insightful)

    3. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

      Ergo, your meme-fu is not enough.

      --=-- CSLib Menace --=--
      (+1 Insightful)

    4. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by nebulus4 · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Estonia actually WAS in Soviet Russia

      It's a common mistake to refer to Soviet as Soviet Russia... Russia was a part of the Soviet Union same way as Estonia, so, saying what you actually did doesn't make any sence ;)

      --
      "It would be wrong to refuse to face the fact that everything is fundamentally sick and sad."
    5. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Actually, it is not that big a mistake. Russia was the country behind Soviet Union, the official language was Russian, even the national anthem of Soviet Union contained lines approximately like "the unbreakable union, lead by the great russia". In the smaller countries like the Baltic states - Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania massive campaigns of russification where carried out. In Latvia, ~800 000 russian civilians where sent in, which after war constituted about 50% of the population, to undermine Latvian culture and any possible resistance.

      As for protecting their freedom. Most of them simply dont understand what RFID means, and most of theirs fears, (at least until recently joining nato) was that one day Russia would make up an excuse and invade them again. So basically, they dont see technology as a threat to their freedom yet, because their notion of lost freedom is being sent to gulag in siberia, not being eavesdroped.

    6. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by nebulus4 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      You're right.. but I've never said it was a big mistake. All I said was that it was a common mistake.

      Anyhow, the chances of new russian invation are the same as the chances the next US president will be an alien :) So, I think there should be serious privacy concerns.

      And the last thing... historically speaking the country behind the Great Russia actually is Ukraine.

      --
      "It would be wrong to refuse to face the fact that everything is fundamentally sick and sad."
    7. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      And the last thing... historically speaking the country behind the Great Russia actually is Ukraine

      ?! Care to elaborate?

    8. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      He is probably referring to Stalin being an Ukranian. I cant however agree that Stalin was the most important person behind forming the Soviet union, because he came to power much later, after it was already formed. (By Lenin and his crowd..)

    9. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I think it is a reference to Kievan Rus, a state formed by Vikings in present-day Ukraine. The capital of Kievan Rus would probably have been Kiev, which is still an important city in Ukraine. Anyway, Kievan Rus was in the apex of its power in the 10th century, but regardless of the intervening Mongol invasion, I believe that the later state of Russia is commonly regarded as a historical development of Kievan Rus. Warning: There's a lot of half-remembered history here. I hope someone who knows better will now correct my blatant mistakes... or maybe I should just check out Wikipedia.

    10. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Stalin was from Georgia. He killed about 20 million Ukrainians, however.

    11. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      I do believe it has been established by now that anyone replying to this thread will be modded Offtopic, but yet they still reply...

    12. Re:In Soviet Estonia.. by NuclearDog · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Wow, that's a first! Someone said "in Soviet Russia" without making a cheesy joke!

      Somebody get this man* prize or something.

      (Well, you could be a woman but being Slashdot man is most likely correct)

      ND

      --
      This statement is forty-five characters long.
  2. FP! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    w00t! I got it!

  3. fp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    .----------------.
    |_I_I_I_I_I_I_I_I]___
    | _ sh0rt bUz: ___ ; _ )
    ='-(_)----------=-(_)-'

    hop on slashdot and firefox fanboys!

  4. corepirate nazi felons test contactless hostage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    subscription management?

    aka

    SourceForgerIE/PostBlock censorship devise (Score:mynuts won, what about those googlers trying to steal the .com (froogles) away from the disabled person?, despite having billions in nazi monIE with which to 'invest' in yOUR 'community'?)))
    by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 09, @05:18AM (#9918543)
    not all that they're cracked up to be, either?

    butt now with gnu online dating/job hunting, merging into won contactless monIEsuck(tm), things are looking up?

    good time to lookout bullow?

    consult with/trust in yOUR creators.... full contact identification since/until forever. see you there?

  5. Re:Info on Biometrics not being safe ? by ravydavygravy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    ... can I add the now? (doh!)

  6. Re:Refrences.. by Zeal0t · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    no more battle royale for you. kthxbye.

  7. in soviet Russia^h^h^h^h^h^h Estonia... by ivlad · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    you know the end...