Real ID Act approved – The end of privacy?

In the United States a new kind of driver’s license will be designed to comply with the federal antiterrorist standards. It will be a reality in 2008, and may have lot of embedded data on the card since it contains a large memory. Among the possibilities are biometric information such as fingerprints, retina scans and DNA data.

It is said to be used to make Americans safer from terrorists, but it will certainly not make the United States much safer. On the contrary, it will limit the freedom and in fact make the US a police state.

It will contain an RFID chip to make authorities able to track people without even looking at their identifications. It may also be harvested by the private sector to track habits to direct commercials among other things.

Supporters claim it is not a national ID because it is voluntary,” Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, one of the eight Republicans to object to the measure, said during the floor debate this week. “However, any state that opts out will automatically make nonpersons out of its citizens. They will not be able to fly or to take a train.

If this will be a reality, Americans will be stripped of their right to privacy and other civil liberties. The big problem is that if some people refuse to participate in this, they will be cut off all federal benefits or rights. There has even been talk about tying the card together with the right to vote, which is really like going out on thin ice.

If you are an American, you may wish to take action and other people may want to help spread the word.