Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

France May Require Biometric ID Cards

Posted by Zonk on from the i-am-k5489028 dept.

Will Affleck-Asch writes "According to an article on Infoworld today, France may require her citizens pay for new identity cards that hold their biometric information in electronic format. The French government outlined its plan last month to replace the identity cards and passports offered to French citizens with new ones that carry a microchip containing digitized photographs and fingerprints. The plan is to introduce the passports in 2006, and the identity cards a year later. Citizens haven't been forced to carry ID cards since 1955."

7 of 312 comments (clear)

  1. In related news... by ackthpt · · Score: 5, Funny

    WASHINGTON, DC (SD-NFN:YRO) Secretary Michael Chertoff, head of the Department Homeland Security has announced that beginning in 2006 US citizens will be required to carry around an ID carrying french citizen for positive identification. "If the french citizen is male, they must be wearing a beret, if female they must attempt to look as much like Audrey Hepburn as possible."

    Civil rights groups have been on watch, expecting a move by Homeland Security, requiring americans to posess biometric or more detailed identification, voicing concern of violation of constitutional rights. Elizabeth Rall, speaking for the ACLU stated this clearly would present a problem as there are more american citizens than french and require rationing. "Ms. Ralls concerns as just more bleeding heart liberal whining", retorted embattled House Majority Leader, Tom DeLay, "this is for the good of all americans and their personal safety."

    The State Department will shortly be convening a task force for the partition of France to breed more identity carriers. The Whitehouse welcomed this unexpected help from the french who strongly sided against the invasion of Iraq. "It's the least they can do for America", said White House press secretary Scott McClellan. Experts expect the french Biometric chip to resemble former french president Charles de Gaul, while an american counterpart, expected on the within 10 years will resemble former US president Ronald Reagan.
    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  2. Re:cancel them in the US then. by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 5, Funny

    We'll just call them Freedom Cards, but require them to be chained to your ankle at all times.

    --
    Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
  3. Re:Making people extremists... by El · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Pacifism only works against an oppressor that has a conscience. Do you really think non-violent resistance would have prevented nazi exterminations? (Actually, it did at one point, where good Aryan women were protesting the arrests of their Jewish husbands, but that's a different story. In general, it wouldn't help.)


    Other than that, I agree - extremism breeds extremism, and violence should only be used as a very last resort. However, one negotiates from a position of weakness if one refuses to use even the treat of violence as a bargaining tactic.

    --

    "Freedom means freedom for everybody" -- Dick Cheney

  4. Re:I'd Pay For This In The U.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The terrorists, being law-abiding people, would carefully register their legal occupation as "terrorist", and thus it would be easy to find them in our national databases.

  5. ID Required in France by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 5, Informative
    Citizens haven't been forced to carry ID cards since 1955

    This is misleading. While there is no "National ID Card", You're required by law to carry ID at all times in France, and the police may ask to see it at their discretion.

    A less confusing way of putting it would have been, "While a national ID card hasn't existed in France since 1955, French people are required carry some form of valid ID with them."

    --

    Obliteracy: Words with explosions

  6. Re:Many French support these cards because... by Stop+Error · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Interesting how you phrase deporting criminals (they are ILLEGAL aliens) with, "harass minorities".

    --
    No keyboard detected. Press any key to continue.
  7. Re:What perfect idiots (not insightful) by acaspis · · Score: 5, Informative
    Well you are definitely missing the point.

    The ID card would probably contain fingerprint data and a digital signature saying that the government recognizes the fingerprint as that of one of its citizens. The fingerprint doesn't even need to be connected to the person's identity.

    Without that, how could scanners at airports and other public locations decide to accept or reject a person based on her fingerprint ? Send it to a big-brother-esque central database, uh ? OK, the scanner still needs to download a list of revocated IDs from time to time.

    ID + fingerprint = something you have + something you are.