IP: Court Asked To Crack Secrecy Over National ID Plans www.washingtonpost.com

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Court Asked To Crack Secrecy Over National ID Plans

Tuesday, April 2, 2002; 9:02 AM

A privacy rights group is turning to a federal court in hopes of forcing the
U.S. Office of Homeland Security to divulge information behind proposals for
a national identification system.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said it planned to file a
lawsuit in a U.S. District Court today after receiving no response to
requests under the Freedom of Information Act for background information on
national ID plans. 

The group said it is seeking records the security office might have "on
technical and legislative proposals for identification systems" in the
belief that legislation has already been drafted calling for state driver's
license records to be linked to federal agency databases.

"The potential privacy implications of these proposals are far-reaching,"
EPIC Executive Director Marc Rotenberg said in a written statement, adding
that Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge "has an obligation to the American
people to ensure that these decisions are made in the open."

EPIC said it requested "expedited processing" of its FOIA requests because
of the urgency of the Homeland Security Office's own recommendations.

"The Office of Homeland Security is subject to the same record disclosure
obligations as are other federal agencies that engage in significant
policymaking," said EPIC General Counsel David Sobel. "Here there is a
particular urgency to inform the public about the office's proposed activity
as funding and legislative decisions are currently pending before Congress."

EPIC said rules for such expedited requests under the Freedom of Information
Act call for a response within 10 days, but that the group has heard nothing
in more than 10 days since its queries. 

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