America’s Countdown To ID Cards

• November 15th, 2006 | Identification

National ID cards have been around for years and have actually been mandatory in countries such as Germany and Italy. Other countries such as Australia, Canada and France have an ID card scheme that is voluntary, but can be used as proof of identity to open bank accounts and use public services. Further to this there are many countries that have non ID scheme, notably the United Kingdom and United States.

However, with the dawn of the international terror threat, the US government has been re-evaluating their stance with regards a national ID card scheme. Currently there is a debate among government agencies on various topics concerning the ID card including what type of card should be used, whether it will be RFID-enabled, what types of biometric information should be stored on it, costing and security measures to protect the data on the card and in the national ID database.

Across the broad spectrum of society, Americans are traditionally in vehement opposition to the notion of an ID card, citing it as a flagrant violation of the constitution and personal civil liberties. But whether we like it or not, America is counting down to a national ID card scheme.

1935 - Introduction of the Social Security Number (SSN)
The Social Security Number system, introduced in 1936, was originally intended to be used for the sole purpose of making the administration of the Social Security system more efficient. However, since then use of the humble Social Security number has been under constant expansion with new amendments added on almost a yearly basis, notably after September 11.

1971 - Social Security Administration Task Force Rejects Upgrade of SSN to ID Card Status
A Social Security Administration task force, set up in 1971, came to the conclusion that the SSN should not become an ID card.

1973 - Health, Education and Welfare Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Automated Personal Data Systems Rejects ID Cards
By this stage the idea of a national identification card scheme had been a topic of debate for years, but again it was rejected based on the lack of public support.

1976 - Federal Advisory Committee on False Identification Rejects ID Cards
Only three years after the idea of a national ID scheme was rejected by a committee sitting on behalf of the Health, Education and Welfare Secretary (Forrest David Matthews) was dismissed, it was again rejected only this time at the hands of the Federal Advisory Committee on False Identification.

1977 - Carter Administration Rejects ID Cards
Numerous administrations had previously refused to propose a bill to introduce a national ID card including the Carter administration who also rejected the idea.

1981 - Reagan Administration Rejects ID Cards
Four years after Carter’s administration had rejected an identifier scheme, Ronald Regan’s administration also dismissed it on the grounds of being “explicitly opposed” to a national identification card.

1993 - Clinton Administration Proposes Health Security Card
Bill Clinton’s Democratic administration proposed a Health Security Card in 1993 that would be issued to every American containing their health records. However, the Health Security Card never got off the ground after meeting a rather cool public reception and was subsequently scrapped.

1999 - Congress Repeals Authorization to Include SSN on Driver’s Licenses
Plans were afoot in 1999 within the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to include the SSN on driver’s licenses, a plan which was then dismissed at the bequest of Congress.

2001 - Terrorists attack the United States.

2001 - Larry Ellison (Oracle) Offers to Donate the Technology Needed to Build a National ID Scheme
Ellison’s comments came shortly after the September 11 attacks when national security was brought back to the forefront of political debate. He offered to donate all the technology needed for the US government to instigate a national identity card scheme where biometric data would be stored on smart card.

2004 - Department of Homeland Security Says No To ID Cards
Tom Ridge, then Department of Homeland Security Secretary, stated that the “legislation that created the Department of Homeland Security was very specific on the question of a national ID card. They said there will be no national ID card.”

2005 - Congress Passes REAL ID Act
The REAL ID Act (Wikipedia) aims to standardize the driver’s license across the United States and has been cited as a backdoor ID card. It’s title: “To establish and rapidly implement regulations for State driver’s license and identification document security standards, to prevent terrorists from abusing the asylum laws of the United States, to unify terrorism-related grounds for inadmissibility and removal, and to ensure expeditious construction of the San Diego border fence.”

So while the United States does not have an outright ID card yet, there is a slow movement in this direction. However, many questions remain unanswered. What will the recent thumping of the Bush administration in the mid-terms mean for the whole ID argument? Are the public convinced by the constant heightened level of threat from terrorism and will this sway public opinion towards safety and the protection afforded by an ID card?

What do you think?