New York offers RFID-embedded driver's licenses
File this one under "driver tech" instead of "car tech." The State of New York has started offering driver's licenses embedded with RFID chips, or enhanced driver's licenses (EDLs). The news comes on the heels of New York becoming the second state to offer identification that can be shown at the border in lieu of a U.S. passport (which is also RFID-embedded).
(Credit:
New York DMV)
The radio frequency identification chip in the EDL will be able to be scanned by authorities to identify citizens entering the state from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean. Intercontinental travelers will still need to produce a passport to enter the country.
Authorities say no personal information will be stored or transmitted by the chip, only an identification number. Those who don't necessarily trust the powers that be can opt for a standard license, which doesn't work as a passport, or look into getting an RFID-blocking wallet and an aluminum foil hat.
The new EDLs will be available at a $30 premium over the standard $50 licensing fee. If you think $80 is a lot for a driver's license, consider that the cost of a standard New York license plus that of a United States passport is about $150.
In order for an ID number to be of use, the border patrol would need a live database of all citizens ID numbers. If that's the ONLY information they have, then anyone could dup the number onto a fake ID and enter the country.
You want to authorize the reentry of people who belong in this country, then take a photo, or fingerprint set as they leave, and store it centrally for live access by any border patrol station. Have them compare with person when they come back and after readmittance, destroy the record. If we could ensure the feds weren't using the record for any other purpose, and once not needed, destroyed, that would preserve everyone's privacy issues.
It doesn't take much to go from homeland security to police state. And I'm not just being paranoid. I have world history on my side. It's happened other places before (still is in some places) and it could happen here too.
It doesn't take much to go from homeland security to police state. And I'm not just being paranoid. I have world history on my side. It's happened other places before (still is in some places) and it could happen here too.
Lot's of plans for rfid's on cars, toll roads etc....
Here we go.but exactly where is that.
Are these the same 'authorities' who told us that Iraq attacked us in 2001 ? ( It was Bin Laden )
Or that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction stockpiled to use against us ? ( We never could find them - cause they weren't there )
And you believe every single thing they feed to you without question, don't you ?
No wonder the Nation is in such a crappy shape today.
Antuan Goodwin's superficial, moronic comments about "foil hats" are an utterly amazing, amateurish contrast that dimishes the respect for CNET as a whole. The fact that CNET managment apparently supports such trivialzed, whimsical treatment of what many/most of their readers consider to be one of the most compelling issues of our generation only encourages their readers to drop CNET from their list and instead rely on WIRED.
Antuan should go back to operating the slurpee machine at 7-11, which no doubt is probably the crowning achievement of his prior "credentials" as a reporter...
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by Mr304
September 18, 2008 9:04 AM PDT
- what the hell are these people doing can't they see that this is just another way too "track your every move" your not even being identified by name any more " YOUR A NUMBER" no more Mr. or Mrs.... its "Hello 10029896" thats crazy. WAKE UP AMERICA
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