Stop the REAL ID Act!
Earlier this year, the US House of Representatives passed the REAL ID Act, bringing us a giant step closer to a "national ID." The REAL ID Act would establish a vast national database of ID holders, where even a small percentage of errors would cause major social disruption. The ID would essentially be an internal passport that would be shown before accessing planes, trains, national parks, and court houses - an irresistible target for forgers and identity thieves. It would also divert resources from security measures that could actually work. And in calling for the use of "common machine-readable technology," the REAL ID Act paves the way for the federal government to force every state to put radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips into their ID cards.
The Senate needs to be reminded that such proposals have always been rejected for good reason: our privacy and civil liberties are at the core of what it means to be an American citizen, and they shouldn't be traded for what amounts to security theater. Tell your senators to reject the REAL ID Act! More Info:
- EFF's Letter to Representatives on the REAL ID Act
- Text of the Act as it was referred to the Senate
- C|Net: "House backs major shift to electronic IDs"
Text of Bill HR 1268
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