Electronic ID Cards Clear the House

(via PrivacySpot)
The House of Representatives has passed legislation that would create a de facto national ID card. The bill mandates that federal employees (think airport security) only accept ID cards (think driver's licenses) that meet certain criteria. The cards must contain a digital photograph and anticounterfeiting measures, and be "machine readable" (think magnetic strip or RFID).

More chilling:

States would be required to demand proof of the person's Social Security number and confirm that number with the Social Security Administration. They would also have to scan in documents showing the person's date of birth and immigration status, and create a massive store "so that the (scanned) images can be retained in electronic storage in a transferable format" permanently.

Another portion of the bill says that states would be required to link their DMV databases if they wished to receive federal funds. Among the information that must be shared: All data fields printed on drivers' licenses and identification cards, and complete drivers' histories, including motor vehicle violations, suspensions and points on licenses.

This amounts to the creation of a national electronic ID card, something Americans have long resisted (they are in use in many countries around the world including most European countries, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand).

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