Vienna, Virginia http://www.909shot.com
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#9119
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“Protecting the health and informed consent rights of
children since 1982.”
Kwilliams Note: Earlier this week I posted a letter to the
list that NVIC has signed regarding the National ID and the Motor Vehicle
Administration plan. Following is a way to reach your legislators on this issue
through the American Civil Liberties Union website. Following the ACLU post is
an article from the Washington Post on this issue.
TO: ACLU
Action Network Members
FR: Jared
Feuer, Internet Organizer
DT: February
12, 2002
In response to September 11th, many have
started talking about creating a national ID system as a counter-terrorism
measure. In fact, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators is
already urging the federal government to create a national ID system by linking
state drivers licenses and state databases.
Unfortunately, just like the use of Social Security
numbers evolved far beyond its original purpose, a national ID card is likely
to lead to a surveillance society where our movements are monitored and
recorded through the use of “internal passports.”
A national ID card would not prevent terrorism, and in
fact, would lure us into a false sense of security by enabling individuals with
an ID—who may in fact be terrorists—to avoid heightened security measures. The creation of a national ID would be a
misplaced “quick fix” that would pose serious threats to our freedom and privacy.
Take Action! You
can read more and send a FREE FAX to your Members of Congress, urging them to
oppose the motor vehicle administrators’ proposal from our action alert at:
http://www.aclu.org/action/id107.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A1526-2002Feb12?language=printer
Rights Groups Oppose ID Card
State Agencies Want More Secure Driver’s Licenses
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 13, 2002; Page A15
Civil-liberties and consumer groups are urging President
Bush to oppose efforts to create a national identification system, saying that
it would intrude on privacy.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the Free Congress
Foundation and more than three dozen other liberal and conservative groups took
particular aim at a proposal by state motor-vehicle officials to link the
driver databases of individual states. The states also want cards that verify a
person’s identification through a fingerprint or other unique identifier.
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
has said it needs as much as $100 million from the federal government to
implement its plans, which include standardizing licensing procedures,
improving authentication of drivers and more closely scrutinizing applications
from foreigners.
The association said it is not seeking a national ID card,
only a more secure driver-licensing system to help stop identity fraud and
terrorism and to promote public safety. On Monday, they met with lawmakers
about possible funding.
“We are trying to strengthen this nation’s driver license
and state-issued ID-card system,” said Linda Lewis, the association’s president
and chief executive. “This is not about a national ID system.”
But in the letter to Bush, civil-liberties and privacy
groups said the association’s plan “would establish a national ID and an
unparalleled system of personal information sharing.”
“The administration should not take any steps to implement
such a system or fund any proposals that would result in a national ID,
including the study or development of standardized state drivers’ licenses,”
said the letter, delivered on Monday.
Calls for a national ID system emerged soon after the
Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. At least 11
hijackers used false identities or obtained driver’s licenses fraudulently.
Although Bush has said he didn’t think a national ID
system was necessary, some government officials have begun studying technical
standards for such a system.
Motor-vehicle administrators said it could improve
security by linking state databases and adopting uniform standards for cards
and by taking other measures to improve the security of state identification
systems.
Lewis said one of the first goals will be to “shore up the
initial application process” to prevent frauds and to keep potential terrorists
from getting legitimate IDs through deception. The group will seek restrictions
on the data that could be collected from the IDs, she said.
In their letter, critics questioned whether such an
initiative could prevent terrorism. “Terrorists and criminals will continue to
be able to obtain— by legal and illegal means—the documents needed to get a
government ID,” the letter said.
They also said that a single ID system could make it
easier for identity thieves and private companies to obtain information. It
would also expose individuals to abuses by law enforcement authorities, tax
collectors and other government agencies.
“It facilitates information sharing and tracking by the
government and private entities,” said Chris Hoofnagle, legislative counsel for
the Electronic Privacy Information Center, one of the groups that signed the letter.
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