Unit 3, Article 8: National ID: Biometrics Pinned to Social Security Cards

Reference

Singel, R. (2007). National ID: Biometrics pinned to social security cards. In P. De Palma (Ed.), Annual Editions: Computers in Society 10/11 (pp. 40-41). New York: McGraw Hill.

Summary

This article was written in May of 2007 about two immigration reform proposals that were before Congress at the time; the article was published in Wired magazine. The goal of the immigration reforms was to make it easier for employers to identify whether applicants were eligible for employment by improving diver’s licenses and social security cards. The proposed bill would have also severely limited the documents that employees could present to verify their citizenship. A major part of the proposal was to add some type of biometrics to social security cards. Biometrics could include a photo ID, fingerprint, or even an iris scan. Social security cards could even be scanned with a special program on laptop computers to immediately verify people against federal databases. Some people were concerned that if the social security card did become the only card that could be used for employment and if the card could be scanned and compared to a federal database, that we would be creating a new set of problems. Some are worried that mistakes in the federal databases – 17.8 million inaccuracies were know at the time of this articles publication – would prevent some people from getting a job who should rightfully have one. People are also concerned that turning the social security card into a national ID card could lead to widespread document checks and be taken advantage of by more than just employers.

Reaction

Since this article is from 2007, I don’t find it extremely useful in 2010. Since social security cards have not changed since this article, I assume that the proposal did not pass congress. Other articles that I have read have also talked about the need for some type of national ID: something that could be used both online and off-line and would be hard for identity thieves to steal. I assume that some type of new ID system is coming soon to the United States. I also think it would be a great idea (from the national security perspective) to include some type of biometrics in the ID because it would make the ID harder to seal or replicate. I personally feel uncomfortable with so much of my information being stored online and in databases around the country and the world. When I have traveled internationally, I have been fingerprinted and scanned; I wonder who is keeping all of this data about me. How secure is it? I understand that it is my choice to travel. Therefore, I must choose to be scanned and printed or turn around and go home. However, I am not sure I am ready for the federal government to require that I give them biometric information just to live here in my own country.