Interesting People mailing list archives
Do We Need a National ID Card?
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 12:33:38 -0500
Begin forwarded message: From: "R.A. Hettinga" <rah () shipwright com> Date: December 22, 2004 9:53:55 AM ESTTo: osint () yahoogroups com, cryptography () metzdowd com, cypherpunks () al-qaeda net
Subject: Do We Need a National ID Card? --- begin forwarded text From: Novmgtco () aol com Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 07:54:11 ESTSubject: Richard Rahn's "Do We Need a National ID Card?" (The Washington Times)
To: undisclosed-recipients: ; The Washington Times www.washingtontimes.com Do we need a national ID card? By Richard W. Rahn Published December 22, 2004 Are you in favor of a national identity card? Even though many Americansare against the idea of a national identity card, it is coming. In fact, in
many ways, it is already here. Every American citizen and every foreignworker in America is required to have a Social Security card. Your Social
Security card is only supposed to be used to gain employment and receiveSociety Security benefits, but try applying for credit without giving your
Social Security number -- and most often you will be turned down. You cannot board an airliner or certain trains, cash a check, go to ahospital, obtain a hotel room or even enter some office buildings without
showing a photo ID. You cannot travel to foreign countries without apassport. Yes, we have no national ID card but, instead, we are required to
have many ID cards just to engage in the normal activities of life. We are torn on the issue of a national ID because we do not want big brother government to monitor us (we all know the potential horrors from the Gestapo and sci-fi movies).On the other hand, we understand the legitimate needs of many purveyors of
public and private services to know who we are. We also worry about thetheft of our identity. We want to be able to provide our medical history to
those who need it to help us in a medical emergency, but we don't want those who might abuse or embarrass us with that knowledge to have the information.In the current world, we are required to know and give more passwords than
most of us can remember to access our bank and credit card accounts, frequent flyer accounts, e-mail and Internet providers, and other information service accounts.If the question posed at the beginning of this commentary was: "Would you
be in favor of a card that could prove your ID while at the same timeprotect you from giving information about yourself (including medical and
financial information) that you do not wish to provide?" I am sure that more people would give a yes response.The fact is we do not need nor should we have a government issued national
ID card. What we need is for the government to specify for what purposes and when it positively must know our identity, and what constitutes acceptable proof. Private organizations, such as airlines, banks andmerchants already do the same thing. Then the private sector will develop
the most user-privacy-friendly and cost-effective devices. Tiny computer chips containing all of the necessary biometric information coupled withnearly unbreakable encryption have already been developed. Consumers will
be able to choose what information they wish to have stored in suchdevices, and who is allowed to have access to what. The chips can be placed
in "smart cards," cell phones and PDAs, or even implanted in the body.In my ideal world, the government would know with certainty who has voted (but not their vote), who is coming into the country, to whom it is making
payments and from whom it is receiving taxes. I would like to be able toprove my identity to government agencies, airlines, banks, etc., and have
access to all my password accounts and computers, and deliver such additional information about myself to those I choose to (such as my medical history to a hospital in case of an emergency), while protecting all my information from those with whom I choose not to share it. In addition, I do not want to have to carry more than one device with me(such as a card or PDA), nor do I want to have to remember any passwords.
Fortunately, the current technology will indeed allow all of the above (my thumbprint could give me access to my PDA with all of the passwords, etc.).
The Government Passport Agency is in the process of developing newpassports to prevent counterfeiting and to give more secure ID. In reality, it is not necessary for us to have passports. What is necessary is for the
government to know whether or not I am a U.S. citizen when I am entering the country, and whether or not I should be detained because of somecriminal act. If I provide the government with a high quality ID, including proof of citizenship, they should instantaneously be able to determine if I
am on a wanted list (including my foreign travel history). The idea ofhaving passports stamped is not only obsolete and useless, but just plain silly. (Obviously, foreign governments would also have to agree to do away
with the existing passport system, to get the full advantages of the new private ID systems.)Again, we do not need a government issued ID. Those who require information
about us (including government agencies) should merely specify whatinformation they need and what forms are acceptable. Private companies can
then compete to give us the most secure, cost-effective, user-friendly personal information and protection ID devices and systems. Richard W. Rahn is a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute and an adjunct scholar of the Cato Institute. --- end forwarded text -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah () ibuc com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "Several times a week, to enter a TV studio say, or to board a plane, I have to produce a tiny picture of my face." -- Christopher Hitchens --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cryptography Mailing ListUnsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to majordomo () metzdowd com
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- Do We Need a National ID Card? David Farber (Dec 22)