Howard Dean and "smart ID" cards?

shetlineshetline
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Can anyone find any other confirmation of this?



ZDNet: Howard Dean's 'smart ID' plan

Quote:

From the above article:

..."We must move to smarter license cards that carry secure digital information that can be universally read at vital checkpoints," Dean said in March 2002, according to a copy of his prepared remarks. "Issuing such a card would have little effect on the privacy of Americans."



Dean also suggested that computer makers such as Apple Computer, Dell, Gateway and Sony should be required to include an ID card reader in PCs--and Americans would have to insert their uniform IDs into the reader before they could log on...



I've Googled a few different ways, and can't come up with any other pages linking Dean with "smart IDs" or "national ID", although I find plenty of pages with unrelated instances of Dean's name (like a link to a completely different kind of story) along with talk about national ID cards.



I'm a strong believer in keeping Big Brother at bay, but I don't get very worked up (as some people both on the left and the right do) about the idea, in and of itself, of a national ID card system. Having to insert your ID into your own home computer to get online, however, is way over the top.



I'm wavering between Dean and Kerry right now, as tomorrow's primary approaches (yes, I live in New Hampshire), but if this ZDNet article is true, that's a big strike against Dean for me.



In my searching I ran across a comment saying Kerry voted for a bill to institute a national ID system, so at least in that respect Dean and Kerry might be similar. Voting for a national ID system, however, isn't anywhere near the same as wanting to put ID card readers in everyone's private homes.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    billybobskybillybobsky Posts: 1,914member
    it says prepared remarks indicating he may never have said those words, in addition and given that they may have come from a speach writer and not the man himself.
  • Reply 2 of 13
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    I would be for this if it would help prevent identify theft. As long as this wasn't something that was required to be carried and the normal rules about cops asking for IDs applied I don't have a problem with it.
  • Reply 3 of 13
    billybobskybillybobsky Posts: 1,914member
    i agree with scott in principle. but these systems are abusable.
  • Reply 4 of 13
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Scott

    I would be for this if it would help prevent identify theft. As long as this wasn't something that was required to be carried and the normal rules about cops asking for IDs applied I don't have a problem with it.



    The existence of a national ID system isn't the only issue here. Than it and of itself doesn't bother me. But being required to swipe your card in your own home just to get onto the internet? That's edging into Orwellian.
  • Reply 5 of 13
    billybobskybillybobsky Posts: 1,914member
    I dont think anyone would support that option on this board.
  • Reply 6 of 13
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    I agree. That's why I said people should not be required to carry one. If you have to swipe a card to get into the super bowl, for example, that would be going way too far.
  • Reply 7 of 13
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    so would this work like your Social Security number, which wouldn't be used for identification purposes?



    i have no idea if Dean is supporting this at all or not, but no matter who proposed this, it's crap and i'd oppose it to the best of my ability.
  • Reply 8 of 13
    psgamer0921psgamer0921 Posts: 393member
    Now really, whats the point of confirming your id before using your computer? That's just stupid....
  • Reply 9 of 13
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    child porn, virus writing, terrorist blogs ...
  • Reply 10 of 13
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    Oh yeah, on most levels I don't have a problem with having an identification card...if you have nothing to hide what are you worried about? BUT. I still don't like it.



    Having me on file for biometric scans? Perhaps. It would be less of an invasion of my privacy in many ways. Entering into areas of higher security? I step up, insert my finger into a scanner, press my eye to a retinal scanner and read a line of text on the wall in front of me.



    I don't know though. This would be a weekend conference kind of thing...sit around and talk the whole thing out.



    Did Dean say it? I haven't heard that YET.
  • Reply 11 of 13
    spcmsspcms Posts: 407member
    Here in Belgium everybody's getting 'eID's also. So far no biometrics are registered, but it's equipped to do so. It's code-protected and will (in the future) replace social security cards, among other things. It has two private key/public key sets, one for digital signatures and one for authentification/encryption. Of course u wouldn't have to identify yourself everytime u log on to the internet, but it should allow you, through a card-reader, to deal with the governement or private business companies on the internet. They would also like to put drivers licenses on them, among other things. I think they are over-estimating the possibilities, but at least it's a more conveniet format than the old ID's we got over here.
  • Reply 12 of 13
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by shetline

    The existence of a national ID system isn't the only issue here. Than it and of itself doesn't bother me. But being required to swipe your card in your own home just to get onto the internet? That's edging into Orwellian.



    Yes it will be scary and Orwellian.
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