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FL Senate Sneaks RFID Drivers License, Internet ID Through

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limitgov Posted: Tue, May 3 2011 10:21 PM

http://deadlinelive.info/2011/05/01/senate-sneaks-rfid-drivers-license-internet-id-into-transportation-bill/

"

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Senate Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability on Wednesday approved an amendment to include “electronic authentication,” as well as “biometrics” to Florida Driver’s licenses. In addition, the amendment to SB 1150, which passed committee on a 12-0 vote, instructs the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to provide a security token that can be electronically authenticated through a personal computer.

This new amendment lays the groundwork for radio frequency identification (RFID) chips to be implanted into drivers’ licenses. In much the same way that merchandise in a warehouse includes RFID tags to track items through the distribution process, RFID tags on drivers’ licenses would give authorities an additional tool to track anyone carrying a drivers’ license within the reception range of an RFID reader.

The Real ID Act of 2005, implemented in Florida on January 1, 2010, has integrated the more expansive personal data set collected by drivers’ license issuing agencies in the participating states into a national database.

In Florida, this database already includes biometrics in the form of computer facial recognition data, collected at the time one’s DHSMV photo is taken. Sheriffs’ departments in at least 22 Florida counties tap into the database as part of their facial recognition system, or FRnet, and feed real-time images from video cameras to instantly identify anyone whose face is in these cameras’ field of view.

This FRnet database, which is accessible to federal, state, and even local municipal agencies, also contains highly personal information, including scans of birth certificates, social security cards, marriage licenses, and other documents.

Also in the amendment is a provision for the DHSMV to provide a “security token that can be electronically authenticated through a personal computer.” It is unclear from the amendment whether the driver’s license itself would act as the token or a key fob/USB device would be issued."

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Bearchu. replied on Tue, May 3 2011 10:50 PM

Yeah, I remember i did a report on the Real ID act.  I thought it was just another "amero" story. Until i realized they are already in all new US passports.

I wonder if it is a crime to do destory them.  Because its "property of the state"

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Here's a solution: http://www.rfid-weblog.com/50226711/building_a_faraday_cage_in_clothing_to_shield_rfid_tags.php

Of course, the next step would be for the government to make shielding RFID tags a federal offense.

Keep in mind, however, that most RFID tags have a range of under 20 feet (see here). And currently there exists no public infrastructure (to my knowledge) that can track people real-time across a city - let alone a state or country - by reading RFID tags.

Finally, I suspect the (initial) purpose of a DHSMV secure token would be for authenticating identities when accessing government websites. All a secure token does is generate a number that's synchronized with a database.

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