Integrating British and American ID Systems

The Independent: US wants to be able to access Britons' ID cards

The United States wants Britain's proposed identity cards to have the same microchip and technology as the ones used on American documents.

The aim of getting the same microchip is to ensure compatability in screening terrorist suspects. But it will also mean that information contained in the British cards can be accessed across the Atlantic.

Achtung! Geben Sie mir Ihre Papiere! - The REAL ID Act.

This is distressing. I should have been prepared for this, because the digital route means it's easier for states to track the citizens living inside and now outside their borders. It's a good example of the serious problems with "making government work more efficiently."

Michael Chertoff, the newly appointed US Secretary for Homeland Security, has already had talks with the Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, and the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling, to discuss the matter.

Mr Chertoff said yesterday that it was vital to seek compatibility, holding up the example of the "video war" of 25 years ago, when VHS and Betamax were in fierce competition to win the status of industry standard for video recording systems.

"I certainly hope we have the same chip... It would be very bad if we all invested huge amounts of money in biometric systems and they didn't work with each other. Hopefully, we are not going to do VHS and Betamax with our chips. I was one of the ones who bought Betamax, and that's now in the garbage," he said.

©2005 Independent News & Media (UK) Ltd.

Hey, so that means I can ditch your fucking cattle cards if I want to, right?!?

Now this is an inapt metaphor, comparing the competition of VHS vs. Betamax with "competing" government ID card systems. One of those is characterized by free individuals making choices in regards to their values voluntarily. The other is characterized by the government forcing millions of people to do what it wants in order to control what you do.

Drudge was absolutely right when he linked to this article with the words "WORLD ID CARD?..." I don't know the technical details or the history, but this is a step in that direction.

Reuters Alertnet: Get used to biometric tests, U.S. tells travellers

Chertoff was speaking to reporters after meeting British officials during a four-day visit to Europe to discuss transatlantic security cooperation.

On Monday he visited the Netherlands, which will pilot a scheme later this year to allow passengers flying between New York's JFK airport and Amsterdam's Schiphol airport to pass through border controls using a biometric card.

If they can produce the card, travellers will not be subjected to further questioning or screening.

I call bullshit on this right now. Because humans are not perfect and because government amplifies those flaws, it will probably take less than a year to renege on this promise. Some database will screw up; some government employee will fail to be diligent; some traveler will enter incorrect data; some computer will crash; someone will lie on their information forms; the end result will be someone who "isn't allowed" will get past the International Biometric Identity Screen. It will happen again. After a number of these incidents (or perhaps even before, just "to be safe"), that one quick swipe of the cattle card will turn into a, "could you step over here, Sir? We just need to check something." I make few predictions, but I'll put my word on this one. The system will fail or the system won't be good enough for every situation, and the end result will bring the whole enterprise back down the point where we are now: multiple ID checks, questioning, searching through belongings, electromagnetic scanning, etc.

It feels stupid to complain about it, but I would have not expected a Republican-majority American government to do this shit. One of the very few things I can appreciate the Bush Administration for (and even this is in a cynical light), is the people within it have done more to crumble my respect, support, and justification for government than any one else.

Posted by Drizzten at May 27, 2005 09:06 AM