Company working for China secret police to issue passports to Americans

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Bruce Schneier <schneier () counterpane com>
Date: March 14, 2006 10:45:23 AM EST
To: EPIC_IDOF () mailman epic org
Subject: [EPIC_IDOF] Company working for China secret police to issue  
passports to Americans

Company working for China secret police to issue passports to Americans
By Judi McLeod
Wednesday, March 8, 2006

http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/cover030806.htm


In an era where Americans will have commercial operations at six key  
ports operated by Dubai Ports World, their future passports will be  
issued from a contractor for the China secret police.

  US courts forced the U.S. government to allow OTI in on the USA  
biometric `epassport' program just weeks ago.  OTI is the contractor  
for China secret police for the biometric ID card now coming online,  
(www.smartcardalliance.org./newsletter/April 2003.cfm).

  That means that the same company that works for the China secret  
police will have a role in providing all U.S. citizens with their  
future passports—by court order.

  National ID smart cards, already at work in China, are used to spy  
on students.

  According to American Banker online, "Chinese officials who  
administer a graduate school admissions exam are using China's  
national ID smart cards and contactless terminals to identify test  
takers.

  "Prospective students who carry the new Chinese national ID card,  
a contactless card that is replacing a paper ID card, must tap the  
card against a terminal so examiners can verify their identifies.   
Those with the old ID card place it near a terminal that uses a  
special light to see if the photo has been tampered with.

  "In January, 107,000 people sat for the exam at 72 testing sites  
in Beijing."

  A report in the People's Daily Online says the ID cards are  
checked to prevent cheating by examinees hiring substitutes to take  
the term test for them.  The paper notes that as competition for  
graduate school admission increases the potential for cheating, too.

  China Vision, one of 10 vendors supplying terminals for the  
Chinese national ID card project, tells Card Technology China that  
the readers can read the data on the chip in as little as eight- 
tenths of a second.  China Vision says the terminals range in price  
from $249 to $1,243, depending on their configurations.

  Other parts of China's society, outside of government, are also  
starting to use the national ID card to identify individuals.  Banks,  
hotels and Internet cafes are among them.

  In the Peoples Republic of China, national ID cards are big  
business. Chinese officials have projected issuing some 800 million  
of the new ID cards to every citizen 16 and older by 2008.  As of  
late last year, the government had issued nearly 50 million cards in  
10 provinces.

  Big Brother is arriving in America from the Far East.

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