Coming soon to a DMV near you... the REAL ID Act is on its way. And that constitutional privacy you value so much? Say goodbye.
In May of 2005, Congress quietly attached the REAL ID Act to a military spending bill that would fund the troops in Iraq and pay for assistance and death benefits to Tsunami victims. This bill was easily voted through - after all, who would vote against it? - and the REAL ID Act went right along with it.
So, just what is the REAL ID Act and how does it affect you?
Simply put, the REAL ID Act authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to create a new, national ID card. This card will be verified against your social security number and other identifying documents and will most likely replace your current driver's license. You'll need this card to collect social security, open a bank account, board a plane and enter a federal building in addition to pretty much any other federal service.
But the fun doesn't stop there.
The national ID card will also contain "common machine-readable technology" and rumor has it that the technology will be in the form of an RFID chip. RFID chips are basically tracking technology, allowing the owner to tell where the chip is at any given time. These chips emit radio waves that can be pinpointed anytime, anyplace, anywhere. In addition to the tracking technology, Homeland Security has also been granted the authority to require some form of biometric information be added to the card, such as a retinal scan, DNA data or fingerprint.
All of this very private data will be stored in one massive database, expected to be maintained by a third-party private company. A breach of this database would allow the thieves easy-access to your most personal information - an identity theft bonanza just waiting to happen.
The Act is set to go into effect in 2008. The expected cost? $80 to $100 million. And guess who gets to foot that bill?
