TOTAL INFORMATION ANALYSIS

Friday, March 02, 2007

Increased awareness of the dangers of radio-frequency identification chips has forced a retreat by the Department if Homeland Security as they finally issue draft regulations for the REAL ID Act, a law which will complete the transformation of state drivers' licenses into a national ID card.

The new regulations also attempt to preempt a rising tide of rebellion to REAL ID from state governments by pushing back the compliance deadline and opening up the money spigot to reimburse states for some of the costs of the measure.
Some excerpts:

"Under section 205(b) of the Act, DHS may grant an extension of time to meet the requirements of the Act if the State provides adequate justification. DHS recognizes that many States need a final rule in order to guide their implementation efforts. Many States have informed DHS that, absent sufficient time to consider and act upon the final rule, the States will not be in a position to comply with the Act and the final rule. In recognition of this fact, DHS is establishing a mechanism where States can request an expedited extension of the compliance deadline. States may request an extension based on the lack of a final REAL ID rule by filing such a request no later than October 1, 2007. Based on information already received by DHS, and absent extraordinary circumstances, an extension request will be deemed justified for a period lasting until, but not beyond, December 31, 2009.

[...]

Section 202(b)(6) of the Act requires that the driver’s license or identification card include the person’s address of principal residence. Many States have laws that allow addresses to be kept confidential in certain circumstances; for example, where the disclosure of an address may jeopardize the personal safety of such an individual, such as victims of domestic violence, judges, protected witnesses, and law enforcement personnel. Some States provide the standards for address confidentiality through legislation or in their exceptions processing. Most States retain the “real” address in their database, but often protect it so that only authorized personnel have access to the “real” address. In addition, most States do not have the “real” address in the machine readable technology barcode. Rather, the machine readable zone contains only what is on the face of the driver’s license or identification card.

[...]

The proposed regulation would mandate the use of the PDF-417 2D bar code as the common MRT standard and DHS proposes to adopt most of the mandatory data elements described in the 2005 AAMVA Driver’s License/Identification Card Design Specifications, Annex D, as its MRT data elements model. PDF417 is a two dimensional, open source (public domain) barcode that is used to store and transfer large amounts of data inexpensively. PDF stands for “portable data file” in that the barcode acts as an independent database that travels along with the item, document, or card on which it is affixed. The printed barcode symbol consists of several linear (minimum 3, maximum 90) rows, each of which is like a small linear barcode made up of code words that can carry up to 1.1 kilobytes of machine-readable data in a space no larger than a standard bar code. The American National Standards Institute has published a standard for PDF417, and AAMVA has approved the use of PDF417 for driver’s licenses and identification cards. The PDF417 barcode can be read by a standard 2D barcode scanner.

The AAMVA list of data elements includes expiration date, bearer’s name, issue date, date of birth, gender, address, and a unique identification number.21 DHS proposes that States consider storing in the machine-readable zone (MRZ) only the minimum data elements necessary for the purpose for which the REAL IDs will be used. DHS requests comments on what data elements should be included in the machine readable zone and the privacy considerations regarding the selection of such data elements and this technology.

Encryption. Annex D of the AAMVA standard requires that all of the data on the 2D bar code be unencrypted. Although DHS leans toward requiring encryption for the data stored in the 2D bar code on REAL ID driver’s licenses and identification cards, DHS believes that access to this information by law enforcement is essential to the requirements of the Act and invites comment on how to provide this access and the protection of the information at the same time.

Because 2D bar code readers are extremely common, there is a possibility that the data could be captured from the driver’s licenses and identification cards and accessed by third parties by reading the driver’s license or identification card’s 2D bar code. For example, a bar could scan the 2D barcode to verify that the individual presenting the driver’s license or identification card was 21 or over, and at the same time could conceivably obtain the person’s name and address off the barcode and compile a list of names and addresses of its patrons, which it could subsequently sell or use.

[...]
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Labels: homeland security, national id, police state

| Posted at 12:43 | PERMA-LINK |

Comments:
Implementing the REAL ID Act is a step toward doing away with the present 50 United States, and replacing them with a "region" made up of groups of U.S. states, the provinces of Canada, and parts of Northern Mexico. These three nations flags already fly together at Sacramento International Airport! California already has a "Regional Court House" in Sacramento, on Power Inn Road! Additionally, the ID Card system will also include biometric scanning, either finger, hand, or eye, that will read electrical physiological signals from a persons brain via their nervous system. This technology is much more "invasive" than most people know, or that anyone will tell you! Aditionally, there are "forces" already stationed here, primed and ready, to go into any residence, into any area, in any state, to put down any type of civil resistance, civil unrest, or civil war, that might erupt! The "issues" of illegal immigration, the economy, lack of good paying jobs, the rising cost of living, the increase in crimes of all types, the lack of feeling secure in your person and property, etc., etc., are used by those in power to bring about civil resistance, civil unrest, and even foment civil war, justifying the need to declare an "emergency" and force the people to accept their terms. Its a Catch 22 situation! Lastly, no matter how hard anyone tries to convince us that the electronic communications media we're using allows us to be "announymous", don't beleive them!


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posted by  Anonymous : 9/6/07 00:00

 

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