National ID Cards

Public Meeting on the Identity Card On May 19th, PI will hold a public event focusing on the UK government's proposed identity card. The meeting will hear from key figures in the fields of law, politics, security, technology and human rights. PI Releases Study on ID Cards and Terrorism; ID Card Bill Published Privacy International has released a new study "Mistaken Identity: Exploring the Relationship Between National Identity Cards & the Prevention of Terrorism". The report finds that there is no evidence that national ID cards reduce terrorism.The Government has released its draft bill. PI press release. See the UK ID Card Page for more details. ID Cards After September 11 In the wake of the tragic events in the United States, some countries are now considering adopting national id cards. These include the United States, United Kingdom, the Philippines, and the Netherlands. Over the past eleven years, Privacy International has been at the forefront of opposing these proposals in a number of countries including Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. In recent years, attempts to create national ID cards in the US, Korea and Taiwan have all fa lied because of public opposition. These pages are an attempt to bring together materials based on PI members' experiences on opposing the proposals. While each jurisdictions may have local variations, the themes remain remarkably similar no matter where the proposals are heard. Our intention here is to discuss the evidence at an international level and to promote debate about the claims made about such card systems.

Privacy International Materials

Privacy International, UK ID Card FAQ, July 2002 Privacy International, Guide on How to Respond to the ID Card Consultation Document, July 2002 Privacy International statement, July 3, 2002. Simon Davies,Director, PI, Reckless ID card plan will destroy nation's freedom, Appeared in Daily Telegraph, September 29, 2001. Privacy International's ID Card FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions report on id cards. (7000 words) Campaigns of Opposition to ID Cards. A review and analysis of the successful campaign to kill the Australia Card in 1987. Personal views from around the world on ID cards.

ID Cards in the United Kingdom

UK ID Card Web Page. Includes a FAQ on the UK National ID card, a guide to responding to the consultation document and a historical overview of the ID cards in the UK.

Other Reports and Materials

TOUCHING BIG BROTHER: How biometric technology will fuse flesh and machine" by Simon Davies. Ontario Privacy and Information Commissioner's Position on Smart Cards, April 2001. Smart Cards: Big Brother's Little Helpers" by The Privacy Committee of New South Wales, Australia. Provincial Identity Cards: A Privacy-Impact Assessment, David H. Flaherty, Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Province of British Columbia, September 27, 1995 A NATIONAL ID SYSTEM: Big Brother's Solution to Illegal Immigration, John J. Miller and Stephen Moore, Cato Foundation, 1996 Chip-Based ID: Promise and Peril by Roger Clarke, Australian National University. Human Identification in Information Systems: Management Challenges and Public Policy Issues by Roger Clarke. Identification, Anonymity and Pseudonymity in Consumer Transactions: A Vital Systems Design and Public Policy Issue by Roger Clarke. To Trade or Not to Trade?: Thoughts on the Failed Smart Card Based National ID Initiative in Taiwan, Tyng-Ruey Chuang, Jan-Ming Ho, Shih-Kuen Huang, Ching-Yi Liu, Da-Wei Wang How Smart Is the IC Card?: The Proposed National Smart Card Plan, BOO Strategy, Electronic Commerce, and the Emerging Danger to Online Privacy in Asia, Ching-Yi Liu, Tamkang University 1991 Hungarian Supreme Court decision striking down use of ID numbers. New Zealand Office of Privacy Commissioner, BACKDOOR ENTRY FOR ID CARDS? March 1998. Report on Land Transport Bill: Photo ID Driver Licences, March 1998. Greece to Demand Religion on National ID Cards, 2 May 1993. This demand was criticized by the European Parliament and the Greek Data Protection Commission. Prime Minister Costas Simitis announced in May 2000 that new Greek identity cards would not include religion, not even on a voluntary basis. The decision was opposed by Archbishop Christodoulos, the leader of the powerful Greek Orthodox Church who said, "These changes are being put forward by neo-intellectuals who want to attack us like rabid dogs and tear at our flesh." Electronic Privacy Information Center's pages on current national ID card proposals in the United States. Korean NGO Committee against Electronic National ID Card Pages.

Other News Stories

(PH)National ID: Protection or a threat? The Philippine Star, September 28, 2001, (US)White House nixes controversial national ID notion, Infoworld, September 27, 2001. (US)National ID Card Push Roils Privacy Advocates, Newsbytes, 25 Sep 2001. (US)ID Cards Are de Rigueur Worldwide, Wired News, September 25, 2001. (US)Attacks stir national ID card debate, Infoworld, September 25, 2001. (US)Make ID cards compulsory, urges Oracle boss, The Register, September 24, 2001. (US)Bush Contemplates National ID Card, For all Citizens, Drudge Report, September 23, 2001. (US)Oracle boss urges national ID cards, offers free software, SJ Mercury News, September 22, 2001. (MY)Malaysia's smart card touted as weapon against terrorism, The Canberra Times, 22 September 2001. (NG)Obasanjo Seeks Legal Backing On ID Card, Sends Enabling Bill to National Assembly, This Day (Lagos), August 31, 2001. (NG)Chieftain Cautions Against Use of ID Card for Elections,The Guardian (Lagos), September 4, 2001. Last updated July 15, 2002.