Yet another link via Schneier.
ID Card Planned for the Borders
U.S. officials announced Tuesday they would start issuing a special identification card this year that would allow Americans who frequently traveled to Mexico or Canada to continue crossing the border without a passport.
Officials said the card would be about the size of a credit card, carry a picture of the holder and cost about $50, about half the price of a passport. It will be equipped with radio frequency identification, allowing it to be read from several yards away at border crossings.
To obtain the card, officials said that citizens would be required to provide the same kind of documentation needed to obtain a passport.
Okay so it requires the same documentation to obtain as a passport does and in effect acts like a passport when crossing the border. I have to ask, why not just use a fucking passport then?
Not only is such an ID redundant but to be equipped with RFIDs that can be read from several yards is a security nightmare and a boon to identity thieves. Jeez.
Tags: security
