11.12.1. "National ID cards are just the driver's licenses on the Information Superhighway." [unknown...may have been my coining] 11.12.2. "What's the concern?" 11.12.3. Insurance and National Health Care will Produce the "National ID" that will be Nearly Unescapable - hospitals and doctors will have to have the card...cash payments will evoke suspicion and may not even be feasible 11.12.4. National ID Card Arguments - "worker's permit" (another proposal, 1994-08, that would call for a national card authorizing work permission) - immigration, benefit - possible tie-in to the system being proposed by the US Postal Service: a registry of public keys (will they also "issue" the private-public key pair?) - software key escrow and related ideas - "I doubt that one would only have to "flash" your card and be on your way. More correctly, one would have to submit to being "scanned" and be on your way. This would also serve to be a convienient locator tag if installed in the toll systems and miscellaneous "security checkpoints". Why would anyone with nothing to hide care if your every move could be monitored? Its for your own good, right? Pretty soon sliding your ID into slots in everyplace you go will be common." [Korac MacArthur, comp.org.eff.talk, 1994-07- 25] 11.12.5. "What are some concerns about Universal ID Cards?" - "Papierren, bitte! Schnell! - that they would allow traceability to the max (as folks used to say)... tracking of movements, erosion of privacy - that they would be required to be used for banking transactions, Net access, etc. (As usual, there may be workarounds, hacks, ...) - "is-a-person" credentially, where government gets involved in the issuance of cryptographic keys (a la the USPS proposal), where only "approved uses" are allowed, etc. - timestamps, credentials 11.12.6. Postal Service trial balloon for national ID card - "While it is true that they share technology, their intent and purpose is very different. Chaum's proposal has as its intent and purpose to provide and protect anonymity in financial transactions. The intent and purpose of the US Postal Service is to identify and authenticate you to the government and to guarantee the traceability of all financial transactions." [WHMurray, alt.privacy, 1994-07- 04] 11.12.7. Scenario for introduction of national ID cards - Imagine that vehicle registrations require presentation of this card (gotta get those illegals out of their cars, or, more benignly, the bureaucracy simply makes the ID cars part of their process). - Instantly this makes those who refuse to get an ID card unable to get valid license tags. (Enforcement is already pretty good....I was pulled over a couple of times for either forgetting to put my new stickers on, or for driving with Oregon expired tags.) + The "National Benefits Card," for example, is then required to get license plate tags.and maybe other things, like car and home insurance, etc. It would be very difficult to fight such a card, as one could not drive, could not pay taxes ("Awhh!" I hear you say, but consider the penalties, the tie-ins with employers, etc. You can run but you can't hide.) - the national ID card would presumably be tied in to income tax filings, in various ways I won't go into here. The Postal Service, aiming to get into this area I guess, has floated the idea of electronic filing, ID systems, etc. 11.12.8. Comments on national ID cards - That some people will be able to skirt the system, or that the system will ultimately be unenforceable, does not lessen the concern. Things can get real tough in the meantime. - I see great dangers here, in tying a national ID card to transactions we are essentially unable to avoid in this society: driving, insurance (and let's not argue insurance...I mean it is unavoidable in the sense of legal issues, torts, etc.), border crossings, etc. Now how will one file taxes without such a card if one is made mandatory for interactions with the government? Saying "taxes are not collectable" is not an adequate answer. They may not be collectible for street punks and others who inhabit the underground economy, but they sure are for most of us.
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