http://news.com.com/2010-1079-945347.html?tag=politech Do we need a national ID plan? By Declan McCullagh July 22, 2002, 4:00 AM PT WASHINGTON--Brad Jansen, an analyst at the Free Congress Foundation, has long been a dogged opponent of national identification cards. In April, Jansen told a Senate panel that a national ID means "a massive bureaucracy that would limit our basic freedoms." In the past, he and the Free Congress Foundation have teamed with the American Civil Liberties Union, forming an ad hoc coalition to oppose federal standards for driver's licenses. So then why is Jansen applauding a new White House plan--while the ACLU is screaming bloody murder? [...] --- > From: Steve Lilienthal > Sent: Friday, July 19, 2002 12:42 PM > Subject: Homeland Security/ National ID > > <<...OLE_Obj...>> > For Immediate Release Contact: > Steve Lilienthal (202)204-5304 > July 19, 2002 > slilienthalat_private > > Free Congress Foundation and the Electronic Privacy Information Center... > > HOMELAND SECURITY STRATEGY SLAMS THE BRAKES ON > A NATIONAL ID SYSTEM > > > The Free Congress Foundation and the Electronic Privacy Information Center > are issuing the following joint statement about the National Strategy for > Homeland Security: > > The National Strategy for Homeland Security puts the brakes on plans to > turn state driver's licenses into a de facto national ID card. > > First, it makes clear that there should be no federal mandatory standards > for state driver's licenses. Following the central principles of > federalism, the Report recognizes that "the issuance of driver's licenses > falls squarely within the power of the states." > > Second, the Report explicitly rejects national, uniform standards for > driver's licenses that would enable data matching and individual > profiling. The Report recommends instead state-led efforts to address the > problem of fraudulent use of the driver's license. > > Third, the Report makes clear that the focus should be on "content, > format, and license acquisition procedures" not biometric identifiers or > other techniques for data profiling. > > Fourth, the Strategy for Homeland Security emphasizes privacy throughout. > Proposals to integrate databases throughout the federal government and > between local, state, and federal agencies must ensure that privacy is > protected. > > The White House has made clear that federal legislation is inappropriate > at this time and that state drivers license record systems should not > become the basis for a de facto national ID card. > > "I commend President Bush for opposing Congressional consideration of a > national ID even through the back door of standardizing state driver's > licenses," said J. Bradley Jansen, deputy director of the Free Congress > Foundation's Center for Technology Policy. "He is right to recognize the > lead of the states and for the federal government to get its own databases > in order." > > "National identity systems diminish freedoms and do not alleviate risks of > terrorist attacks," said Chris Hoofnagle, legislative counsel with the > Electronic Privacy Information Center. > > -30- > > Free Congress Foundation is a conservative research and education > foundation committed to > traditional values, free enterprise, a strong national defense, the right > to privacy, and federalism. > > More information about the Free Congress Foundation can be located at > http://www.freecongress.org > > The Electronic Privacy Information Center is a not-for-profit public > interest group that focuses on > privacy and civil liberties. > > More information about EPIC can be located at http://www.epic.org > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon Jul 22 2002 - 05:07:23 PDT