Quote:
Originally posted by Tony Shepps
...Protecting your identity is in the best interests of private companies, but it's expensive. If Visa wanted to, I'm sure they could develop a thumbprint or iris-scanning device to be used at all terminals.
What's more, identity theft is only as painful as the importance of the information behind that identity. If I "steal" Michael Jordan's "identity" for long enough to have stuff bought and sent to my house on his dime, that's tough for MJ but worse for the affected merchants. MJ doesn't see any serious loss for the "theft". If I "steal" his "identity" and he has every last bit of information connected with it, as is ONLY made possible by a nationalized system, then it's trouble. ...
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If someone steals your identity, then it takes years before you can buy a house, take out a loan, get a credit card. The person stealing your or MJ's identity cost you and MJ more than the few lost products. Its the dirty little secret that most people fail to appreciate. The damage to your ID would take multiple years to repair. Furthermore you have no knowledge of the identity theft damage until it adversely affects your life. When do you discover the problem? Only when you close on your new house having already sold your old one. Suddenly you cannot buy the new house because of identity theft six years ago. That is how it works - and it becoming more common.
Confirming a picture does not harm anyone. IN a national ID system, the picture at the top of the page would no longer be available - only confirmantion of a face if the correct name was included. IDing a picture to a real world name is fundamental to ID protection. So far all arguements against a national ID system are based on a system where confirmations (not to be confused with information) is a threat to privacy. When did your face become hidden under a vail? When was your finger print a theft of personal property or a threat to your privacy?
The fear of a national ID system corresponds to the reason women spend so much on "age fighting creams" - we feel it must be - the facts be damned. We fear because a German census is emotionally hyped in to Nazis using a national ID system. I have contempt for those who would jump to such emotional conclusions. They even assume a national ID system means the above picture is available to everyone.
A person cannot hurt you through a national ID confirmation system. But identity theft has long term, quality of life, destructive consequences that we are only just beginning to realize.
Lets see. The government tracks license plates as cars pass through the Mexican and Canadian borders. Evil. Government cannot be trusted to track that information? And so it does nothing about stolen 2000 cars that pass out of the US every day through customs - all known to be stolen - because big government might abuse that information? Bull.
When you can cite why the picture at the top of the page has theatened anyone's life, then you can define why a national ID system is so dangerous. In the meantime while we encourage theives to steal our identities, the government still has everyones pictures ready for the same 'abuses'. Why government pictures not destroying citizen's lifes? When was the last time a picture of your face harmed your life and privacy?
If a national ID confirmation system could be abused, then your privacy is already been abused by DMVs. National ID confirmation is not a threat - just uses existing databases to protect your life and privacy. It is something we don't operate making the theft of American IDs one of the most prized possessions for all criminals worldwide. Most important - can someone please provide a logical rather than an emotional reason why a national ID system is so dangerous?
Nazism - phoooey. How about some logical reasons.