ID Theft

Are you ready for the National Real ID? Invasion of privacy? Identity theft? Concerned?

The US government has developed a Real ID that will contain all of your personal data in the near future - prescriptions and medical records, all licensing, etc. It will eventually have a chip that can track you wherever you are - sounds a little like Sci-Fi or maybe like the movies "The Net" or "Enemy of the State". Most states have refused to accept this because it will allow the government to control the lives of the citizens but do nothing to protect us from illegals. Illegals will still be working for cash, not paying taxes and drinking while driving without insurance, continuing drug smuggling, selling children for sex, etc. Why not have a scanable card that just has the current information on the card - like for your driver's licence - only embed them with chips that lead back to the issuing government agent? This way if someone has a US card illegally, it can be traced back to the agent who issued the card. Let us penalize those guilty of crimes, not the taxpayers! burdawg, I agree with you that we need to be able to separate the citizens from illegal invaders in our country - just not at the expense of the citizens. We already have driver's licenses or state IDs. Our national ID is our Social Security number. This is what is being abused. Currently our SS# is on paper - easy to replicate. Now what they were all on a plastic cards that had your basic information in it - full name and hidden SS#. The only way that the number would show up is by scanning the card at a government location like a driver's licensing facility. The government agent who issued the SS card at the government facility would not be able to release the card to you until they first swiped the card which would then record the agent issuing the card. This would prevent using fake documents to get a license and enable us to trace back to the issuing agents for fraudulent activities where the blame should be. http://www.gohunter08.com/ insighthere, I did not know that something similar existed. What I do not like about the card you mentioned is that the government is better able to monitor people. I never want the government to have access to every little thing about me - nor do I want it floating around in cyberspace to be used to threaten my freedom. We really have to be cautious about how much private information is available to the government to prevent government control. Think of the Nazis. What would it be like today if the same thing happened through medical cards - easy to identify any number of ailments that might be a drain to the system and eliminate the burden. No thanks. I'm not ready for that kind of access by just anyone. A simple chip tracing back to the issuing agent will work just fine for me - but nothing personal about me on that card.

Public Comments

1. If people don't get over their apathetic ways, they will be liveing in a world much like Orwell's "1984".
2. If you vote for Hillary in 2008, this will all come true. If you want freedom for this country, the only hope is Ron Paul, who is against the National ID Card, the Patriot Act, corporations, and the Iraq War. He has also signed the American Freedom Agenda pledge not to violate Americans' rights through domestic wiretapping. Vote for Ron Paul before it is too late. http://www.ronpaul2008.com/
3. This is Bush's worst mistake. It must be stopped. It is a police state idea.
4. Here's my take on this. With the ever growing problem of illegals crossing our borders, you must have some reliable form of identifying the true citizens. I think a national ID card is going to be a necessity. It could have so much info on it that it would be nearly impossible to fake. This alone could stop identity theft problem. Well I guess it's a start. On the other hand I can see the concerns of people that say it might be an invasion of privacy. Bottom line is ---- we must stop the illegal ID theft of real American citizens by what ever means. By the way have a happy 4th of July, and happy birthday America!!!!!
5. I would not object to a photo ID card limited to citizenship/legal immigrant status. If I want to carry my medical information on my person, that should be my choice. I would object to any implanted chip or tattoed barcode. I am not a vehicle to require GPS capability. I am not a product for sale. I strenuously object to any Orwellian use of ID's. If they want to use the technology available, then let them make the cards tamper-proof. Make counterfeiting them a crime that is the equivalent of counterfeiting-money.
6. I am for a national ID card. It does not need to include all data of a person but it certainly should prevent the abuse of driver's licenses and SSN. Every civilized country has an ID card which is less than a passport. Why do people object? Because they just parrot the opinion of mind manipulators.
7. We have these already in Australia and it is called the Medicare Smart card. The description given by the question asker is frighteningly similar. There is no tracking device though. The microchip could indicate where you are when the card is actually scanned but not when you are walking around. The old Medicare cards did not even have a magnetic strip so they were extremely easy to forge. Illegal immigrants (we don't call them aliens) will find it more difficult to forge the Smart Cards but this means identity theft could become more widespread instead. People who want to find a way around a system will always find one. There are benefits for the truthful users though. Your pharmacist is less likely to give you the wrong medicine. Your medical history can travel with you from state to state. Your doctors will be able to share information and who knows if that could lead to medical breakthroughs. Your health insurance will be more difficult to defraud and thus save the users money. If the cards are not misused they are a good idea but yes they will not be able to stop illegal immigration.