Slashdot Mirror
Iris-Scan ID Cards For Children In Mexico
An anonymous reader writes "Today the first ID cards that include iris and fingerprint biometric information were registered and issued in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. (Original article in Spanish.) The juicier part of the story is that for now, only children will be enrolled in this national biometric database. It is intended that by December 2012 all children in the country will be registered. The alleged purpose of the new ID card is to hinder the abduction of children and prevent child exploitation. The first ID cards are being issued in the same city that last year started implementing a mandatory iris scan for convicted felons and voluntary members of the public in a Minority Reportesque plan to combat delinquency that features iris readers in public transport and ATMs. This comes from the country that last year attempted and failed to create a national database of mobile phone users, again with the purported intention to tackle extortion and kidnappings."
So the police can tell the Narco Gangs where you are to make kidnapping easier?
Great point.
I'd mod you up, but I want to make the counter-point that it might be preferable to legalize drugs than impose a police state on the populace.
I don't know where you think you would find your little law and order utopia, but it sure isn't here. Kidnapping (and the drug war) is a problem due to official corruption, not for lack of tagging our kids like cattle..
Outsider meddling in our domestic politics doesn't help matters any either
Todos mis movimientos están friamente calculados
"he alleged purpose of the new ID card is to hinder the abduction of children and prevent child exploitation. "
That IS it's purpose and it will help.
No, it's purpose is security theater: to make the citizens think their government is taking serious steps to combat the security problem.
How are ID cards supposed to stop children abduction or exploitation? "Crap! We can't kidnap and exploit this kid: his irises are catalogued! The police will know he's not ours! Now that kid standing NEXT to him is clearly an orphan and will be untagged. Tie him up and put him in the sweatshop, then any police who notice will think he's OUR kid, along with the other 20."
Or is it more "Stay back evildoers! I have AN ID CARD!!!"
Evildoers: "Oh no! He'll give us papercuts!"
Or is it that most of the people using/kidnapping kids are confused and think they're unclaimed children that are finders keepers?
It's a thoroughly nonsensical idea that will do nothing to stop any real problem, hence the sarcasm in the post.
"he alleged purpose of the new ID card is to hinder the abduction of children and prevent child exploitation. "
That IS it's purpose and it will help.
"Let's grab that kid and sell her as a sex slave."
"We can't! She's got an ID card."
...yeah.
This is the same thinking behind fingerprint kits, which are claimed to help keep your kid from being abducted.
Sorry; the truth of the matter is, they're only useful in identifying kids after they have been abducted, and honestly in some cases dental records would be better for that.