China Creates Massive Online ID Database

schwaang writes that while the US continues to hash out concerns over the Real ID Act, which aims to create a national ID by standardizing state driver's licenses, China has already implemented a massive online ID database, which they say will help prevent fraud. From the Xinhua English-language site: "Anyone can now send a text message or visit the country's population information center's website, to check if the name and the ID number of a person's identity card match. If they do match the ID card-holder's picture also appears, said the Ministry, adding that no other information is available to ensure a citizen's privacy is protected. Completed at the end of 2006, China's population information database, the world's largest, contains personal information on 1.3 billion citizens. Giving public accessing to the database is also designed to correct mistakes if an individual discovers that their name, number and picture don't match."

Comments

Re:yeah

[Evilest Doer]

Neither was Clinton (twice) or JFK in 1960

Clinton and JFK were duly elected according to the laws of the US. Clinton got less than half the popular vote the first time, but then so did Abraham Lincoln and a lot of other presidents. In fact, "spoilers" as they are called today (like Nader and Perot) were quite common before the time of the Eisenhower election. Nader and Perot simply diverted some of the popular vote, and even that is questionable given how much turnout there usually is at election time. The "spoilers" of before actually got Electoral College votes. Strom Thurmond, for example, actually won electoral votes in a couple of states (care to guess which ones?) in the election of 1948. So, to complain about Clinton is disingeneous. The JFK election was simply close.

Bush stole the first election outright and probably stole the second one, though Diebold machines in Ohio (along with unequal access to voting equipment in largely Democratic areas) make determining that much more difficult.

Re:Revelation 13:16-17, coming soon to the USA

[Jeff DeMaagd]

The number used to identify The Mark was about Roman Caesars. The number is apparently a use of numerology to identify a particular emperor and has apparently been changed in number to fit different Caesars as the old one died. The Mark is also supposed to be one where you recant all other beliefs to worship or follow The Beast.

In short, it doesn't really apply. If there is an afterlife and a hell in the afterlife, accepting Real ID or similar probably won't be the thing that will cause you to be sent there.

Re:yeah

[hackingbear]

But in China, anyone can spend a few buck and get fake ID of any kind: ID card, diploma, driver license, passport, ... Frauds are rampant. How does this relate to democracy? I do worry about the technical security of this database and web site. It is just time that hackers can intrude the system and gain millions of ID/name records.

Prevent fraud by giving the fraudsters tools?

[Kirth]

Of course, China might want to install its own big-brother database for reasons of central control and other fascist means. But I won't go into that.

Because the one thing that database won't do is help against fraudsters. Actually, it will help them. Contrary to ones belief, fraud goes up as more data about people is collected.

You'll notice that the credit-card fraud-rate is lower in europe, where we have relatively strong data-protection laws, than in the USA where personal data is protected less.

And any database which is generated will have its abuse (by users entering false data, by legitimate users using it for illegal means, by people illegally accessing it), the more it encompassess the more bodies will need access to it, the more it will be abused, and the first thing you will notice is a definitive increase in fraud.

So contrary to the common assumption that these databases will help to combat crime, they will foster crime.