[ale] Big Brother Wins, We lose... From /. Real-ID Passes U.S. Senate 100-0

[Randal Jarrett]

In general, I don't have a problem with the federal government setting a
standard for the states to follow with drivers license format.

I do have a problem with the amount of information that they may contain
and the way it is presented.

    This would be the normal information that is already on the front of
most driver licenses.  The same information would be digitally presented
by whatever means dediced, (rfid, mag stripe, optical) with an
encryption key.

    This method would allow the visible information on the front to be
verified by anyone with the appropiate reader.

    Then anything else deemed needed by "Homeland Security", (remember,
congress left it up to DHS to decide method and content), could be
digitally encrypted with law enforcement and gonvernmental equipment
would have the decryption key.

Or, would it not be prudent to just have the minimum information on the
license needed for ID?  Then there could be an encoded (or maybe not
necessary) ID number in the digital information. In today's age of
instant digital communications especially by law enforcement and
government agencies, they could reference this ID the same way they now
do our driver license number and get additional information if they have
the need to know and are authorized. This should not present them with
any restrictions or delay in recovering the information.

This last method would apply the checks needed to prevent the access of
'private' information.


Randy

On Wed, 2005-05-11 at 12:52 -0400, Sean Kilpatrick wrote:
> On Wednesday 11 May 2005 10:50 am, James Baldwin wrote:
> |  Your State need NOT participate  
> | in the sharing of data with other States in order for your license to  
> | be accept. It only participates if it wishes to receive funding.
> | 
> | So... What is everyone getting their panties in a knot about?
> | 
> 
> 
> Hoo, boy.  Let me try in a way that is at least nominally
> On Topic (for a computer users group). I am sure that 
> everyone on this list is aware, painfully aware, of how
> insecure large data collections are these days. Does anyone
> on this list _really_ believe that state or federal government
> flunkies will be any more diligent about securing these
> databases than their commercial counterparts? Once databases
> are shared then the entire collection is only as secure as the
> least secure portal. That scares me.
> Congress has been sidestepping the Constitution for decades by
> saying to states "do it OUR way or lose funding." That's how the
> nation-wide 55 mph speed limit was imposed. When the Feds say
> "do it OUR way or lose funding" the states really have no choice.
> Too much money is involved.
> The issue is whether your Georgia Driver's License can be accepted
> in "Federal" transactions. That is, is it an acceptable ID for
> flying on a commercial airline; is it an acceptable ID for cashing
> a check drawn on an out-of-state bank; will the gate guard at any 
> federal institution (including National Parks) accept it as an ID.
> The entire thrust of the law is to create what is, in fact, a national
> identification card that will be decorated with the logos of the
> different states.  This country has never had one before -- unlike
> most, if not all, of Europe. The question is, "Do we really need
> one now?"
> I think not. But YMMV.
> 
> 
> Sean
> 
> 
> Sean
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
-- 

Randal Jarrett  <rsj at logix.net>
RSJ Consulting, Inc
Lawrenceville, GA
(770) 822-1096