Have you heard about REAL ID?

This is basically the US government’s way to turn state drivers licenses into national ID card and link them through one huge national database. And how will these IDs be used?

Once the IDs and database are in place, their uses will inevitably expand to facilitate a wide range of surveillance activities. Remember, the Social Security number started innocuously enough, but it has become a prerequisite for a host of government services and been coopted by private companies to create massive databases of personal information. A national ID poses similar dangers; for example, because “common machine-readable technology” will be required on every ID, the government and businesses will be able to easily read your private information off the cards in myriad contexts.

Social Security numbers are one of the worst privacy and security threats out there. Way too many businesses use them as IDs and as a means of authentication even though they are nothing of the sort. You might be saying, “Ok, Mike, yeah that sucks, but at least we’ll be more secure with REAL ID cards, right?”

And what will you get in return? Not improved national security, because IDs do nothing to stop those who haven’t already been identified as threats, and wrongdoers will still be able to create fake documents. In fact, the IDs and database will simply create an irresistible target for identity thieves.

So basically they’ll just become another way for you to lose your identity… and cost you money… and lose your privacy. As RealNightmare.org puts it, REAL ID is:

• REAL INVASIVE - Will create America’s first national identity card, increase the thread of identity theft, enable the routine tracking of individuals, and propel us toward a surveillance society
• REAL RED TAPE - Will mean bureaucratic nightmares, long lines, repeat trips, and higher fees for individuals trying to get licenses and IDs
• REAL EXPENSIVE - With a cost in the billions, REAL ID is a hidden tax increase that will force Americans to either pay higher fees to get their IDs, or pay more in state taxes.
• REAL POINTLESS - Will do little if anything to protect against terrorism

Sounds pretty hopeless, eh? At least, the second version of REAL ID isn’t as bad as the first version:

Original legislation contained one of the most controversial elements which did not make it into the final legislation that was signed into law. It would have required states to sign a new compact known as the Driver License Agreement (DLA) as written by the Joint Driver’s License Compact/ Non-Resident Violators Compact Executive Board with the support of AAMVA which would have required states to give reciprocity to those provinces and territories in Canada and those states in Mexico that joined the DLA and complied with its provisions. As a part of the DLA, states would be required to network their databases with these provinces, territories and Mexican states. The databases that are accessible would include sensitive information such as Social Security numbers, home addresses and other information. The foreign states and provinces are not required to abide with the Drivers Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) and are free to access and use the sensitive information as they see fit.

As they see fit? Mexico can do with my social security number as they see fit? Ugh…

If you’re sick and tired of all the identity problems and privacy invasions that already exist and don’t want to see the US become any more Orwellian, help repeal the REAL ID Act. There are states and congressmen that recognize this as a flawed system, but the gov’t isn’t backing down yet. There are several other resources like UnRealID.com, RealNightmare.org, and NO2RealID.org. Do yourself a favor and find out the truth about REAL ID before it’s too late.