Quote:
Originally posted by lisa
And the reason that this sort of thing could NOT be done with driver's licences or something similar on a local level is what?
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Lets say your ID is registered in the CA database. I steal enough of your identity to register as you in the PA database. I procede to use your credit rating, your good name in every national pizza chain, and obtain credit cards on your identification. All because you had no Identification protection. To have protection, you would have to register in every state. If the ID verfication system is localized, then you have ID verification but no ID protection whatso ever.
As for a driver's license system - it is not designed for personal identification AND it is designed for universal, insecure access by law enforcement - nobody else. A driver's license system is not to serve you - it is to serve law enforcement. A National ID system is designed to serve and protect you - which, BTW, is another reason why it will never be a threat to your privacy and why it is optional.
Another does not understand why counterfeit IDs could not be used. The technology dates back to the earliest days of encryption. When ID A interfaces with the master system, both share an encrypted common number. When counterfeit ID B is used, then the common number does not match - rejection. If the criminal is resourceful, then ID A no longer matches the database number - the Identification protection system has kicked in.
Part of my problem - I assumed this was obvious. But then I also assume the rudimetary concepts of PGP are fully understood by all here. That assumption apparently also may not be correct.
There is the silly idea that any system can be cracked, therefore no such security system should be constructed. This is twisted logic. But we don't even have the rudimentary system, or any plans for one We should be addressing the problem that already exists today so that a basic National ID verification system exists in 10 years - and so that a National ID verfication and more functional protection system exists in 20 years. But criminal types and those who fear all law enforcement will call that unfair? Yes, they would deny others access to a system that honest people require - obviously.
But alas, it takes a WTC collapse and anthrax deaths to suddenly discover that no protection exists. Governments (except those like NYC) had no response systems to terrorist attacks nor biological attack information. Sound like the FAA's graveyard mentality? Notice so many that still claim ID theft just does not exist and never will?
A silly fear that law enforcement might not get a court order or your permission to access National ID information. So what. Nothing exists in that database that threatens anyone's privacy. But if you are so criminal as to fear law enforcement - then don't use the system. You have that option. No problem.
The fear of law enforcement illegally accessing data in a National ID system is the same as a fear of law enforcement accessing the data in any local system - identification, credit card, driver's license, IRS, court records, telephone, Social Security, SMTP and POP3, etc. Those other databases contain massively more information that is a threat to your privacy and are not designed to be as secure. A National ID system contains no threat to your privacy or security - especially if you don't use it. But alas, fear of new or innovative persist. Just another example of how too many fear innovation (the anti-innovtive also still use the long obsoleted Windows 9x/ME and FATxx disk filesystems).
If you fear a National ID system, then do not use; absolutely stay away from the Internet.
If you are an extremist, then fear a National ID system because extremists must deny others access to anything that extremists fear. Extremists fear to let anyone else use a system that they would fear to use. Straw man: fear of anything that you don't have to use.