REAL ID is Punted Again: Via CDT - Center for Democracy & Technology..

DHS pushed back the December 31 deadline for REAL ID compliance until May 11, 2011  providing (at least in theory) the 46 states that have not yet improved driver's license standard more time to do so.  WIth PASS ID — the bill that would make REAL ID easier to comply with and add privacy protections — still not through the Senate, it is not terribly surprising that REAL ID is once again delayed.  CDT still worries that the climate will be different at the next deadline and the compromise that forces the hand of the states to act will not be nearly as privacy-friendly as PASS ID.

Read Original Article:(Via CDT - Center for Democracy & Technology..)

Real ID Follies Continue with PASS ID Waiting in the Wings: Via EFF.org Updates.

As 2009 draws to a close, we're inching ever deeper into the corner that Congress painted us into by passing Real ID under the table in 2005. (Recall that Real ID is the failed, Bush-era attempt to turn state drivers licenses into national ID cards by forcing states to collect and store licensee data in databases, and refusing to accept non-compliant IDs for federal purposes, like boarding a plane or entering a federal building.)

The official deadline for states to comply with the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) final Real ID rule is December 31, 2009, and an estimated 36 states will not be in compliance by then, leading to some ambiguity for many citizens. For example, will residents of Montana be able to board planes in January 2010 with only a driver’s license (a state-supplied, technically non-compliant document) and without a passport (an identity document issued by the federal government)?

Past history strongly suggests that DHS will issue last-minute waivers to states that have not amped up their drivers licenses to adhere to Real ID. [ Read more ... ]

PASS ID: REAL ID Reanimated: Via EFF.org Updates.

In February, the opponents of REAL ID were given a bit of hope when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that she wanted to repeal the REAL ID Act, the federal government's failed plan to impose a national identification card through state driver's licenses. But what has taken place since is no return to sanity, as political machinations have produced a cosmetic makeover called "PASS ID" that has revived the push for a national identification card.

The PASS ID Act (S. 1261) seeks to make many of the same ineffectual, dangerous changes the REAL ID Act attempted to impose. Fundamentally, PASS ID operates on the same flawed premise of REAL ID -- that requiring various "identity documents" (and storing that information in databases for later access) will magically make state drivers' licenses more legitimate, which will in turn improve national security. [ Read more ... ]

Congressmen: Pass ID Threatens Americans: Via Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union.

It’s not every day that privacy advocates agree with this particular group of four congressmen. But in Tuesday’s Washington Post, Congressmen Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Lamar Smith (R-Texas), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wisc.) and Peter King (R-N.Y.) spoke out against PASS ID as a threat to our national security. We concur: PASS ID does present unnecessary risk, all while doing nothing to aid national security.

Unfortunately, once you get past the headline, our agreement pretty much ends. The four congressmen are actually supporters of the failed Real ID Act — Rep. Sensenbrenner is the act’s author. They oppose PASS ID because they feel it weakens some of Real ID’s more draconian requirements.But the PASS ID Act is no benign alternative. It exposes Americans to an increased risk of identity theft, endangers victims of domestic violence, and cuts off religious minorities and some legal immigrants from full participation in society. [ Read more ... ]

CDT Testifies on Reevaluating REAL ID Act: Via Center for Democracy and Technology.

CDT testified Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on reevaluating the REAL ID Act. CDT testified in support of the PASS ID Act, noting that it mitigates or corrects critical privacy and security flaws introduced by REAL ID, while still establishing minimum federal standards for the issuance of driver's licenses and ID cards. While the PASS ID Act does not address all flaws in the REAL ID program, merely repealing REAL ID does not address all of the underlying privacy and security risks posed by government identification programs, CDT said. PASS ID provides the opportunity to start building privacy guidance and protections into all state identification programs, addressing trends and issues that will exist regardless of REAL ID implementation.

Read Original Article (Via Center for Democracy and Technology.)

Like Frankenstein’s Monster, DHS and the Senate Try to Revive Real ID: Via Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said today that Real ID was "DOA". That’s "Dead On Arrival" for the tiny percentage of you out there who don’t watch a lot of cop shows on TV. What she meant was that states are not implementing Real ID. She repeatedly referenced the fact that 13 states have opted out of Real ID altogether, passing statutes that bar participation in the program. Of course the ACLU agrees with that message, we’ve been shouting it from the rooftops for years. But the real question is: If Real ID is dead, why is everybody working so hard to bring it back to life?

That was the theme at a hearing held today by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs entitled Identification Security: Reevaluating the REAL ID Act . [ Read more ... ]

More on PASS ID: Strengthening Privacy Protections for REAL Progress: Via CDT - PolicyBeta.

Three weeks ago, the PASS ID Act [S. 1261] was introduced in an effort to move beyond the REAL ID stalemate that has dragged on for over three years. CDT supports PASS ID because it mitigates key privacy flaws in the REAL ID program and is a notable improvement over current law. While the privacy provisions in PASS ID can still be strengthened, the bill incorporates nearly all the privacy requirements that the last Congress’s REAL ID repeal act included [S. 717, 110th] and was even introduced by the same Senator, Daniel Akaka (D-HI).

Putting aside for a moment the question of whether repeal of REAL ID is a political possibility, it is important to realize that repeal is not necessarily better than REAL ID: [ Read more ... ]

A National “REAL ID” Database Is Not the Answer - Via CDT - PolicyBeta:

Back in January I wrote an op-ed criticizing the Department of Homeland Security for flirting with the idea of creating a national ID database to implement the REAL ID Act. While CDT has been supporting the repeal of REAL ID or its major amendment, we believe that, should the law stand, it must be implemented responsibly.

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), a private organization representing the interests of state DMVs, has been a key proponent of creating a national ID database, which would hold highly sensitive personal information on virtually all Americans, because it already manages a similar central database for commercial drivers.

Although AAMVA is clearly pushing the centralized model, it has heard the cries of privacy advocates who have warned of the significant privacy and security risks of creating a national ID database. To its credit, AAMVA is putting together a white paper, due out in the next few weeks, analyzing the different system models that could ensure that an applicant doesn’t already hold a REAL ID card from another state (which is a requirement of the Act). [ Read more ... ]

Minnesota Passes Veto-Proof Anti-Real ID Bill - Via ACLU Blog - Privacy & Technology:

Last night, Minnesota joined 18 other states in rejecting Real ID, the Department of Homeland Security's attempt at a national ID card. More states are jumping on the anti-Real ID bandwagon. Noam Biale, Advocacy Coordinator for our Technology and Liberty Project, writes in DailyKos : [ Read more ... ]

DHS Can’t Admit Its Own Mistakes - Via CDT - PolicyBeta:

Back in April, I blogged about how Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff was “dead wrong” when he testified before the Senate that personal information can’t be “skimmed” from an unencrypted barcode, which all driver’s licenses will have under the REAL ID program. Chertoff completely denied that there are any privacy risks associated with the REAL ID card’s “machine-readable zone.”

Sen. Feingold, D-WI, was right to question Chertoff’s testimony that day and followed up with a letter asking the Secretary to further explain why he thought citizens’ personal information wasn’t at risk or why they couldn’t be tracked by scanning REAL ID cards during a multitude of transactions. Just this week, DHS responded to Sen. Feingold via letter. The Department again shirked responsibility for ensuring that Americans’ personal information stored on REAL ID cards is protected and not accessible by unauthorized parties – businesses and government agencies alike. [ Read more ... ]

Funding for Invasive Real ID Cons States in Exchange for Their Privacy - Via ACLU - Privacy:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: (202) 675-2312 or media@dcaclu.org

Washington, DC – After releasing regulations last month that failed to fix the manifold privacy and civil liberties violations of the Real ID Act, the federal government has left state governments to shoulder most of the cost of the onerous, invasive national ID program. The President’s budget proposal requests only $110 million in federal grant money toward the states for Real ID implementation, and even that money, if actually appropriated by Congress, will be split among Real ID and other programs.

Real ID, which the American Civil Liberties Union believes should be reformed or repealed in the first place for its threats to civil liberties, has been attacked by governors and state legislators nationwide for forcing them to sacrifice their residents’ privacy and having their own state governments pay for the intrusion. [ Read more ... ]

REAL ID: AAMVA Moving Money Around - Via The Technology Liberation Front:

"Please note that participation in the grant proposal effort does not constitute a commitment by your jurisdiction to be REAL ID compliant."

That's an assurance the heads of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators give to state DMV bureaucrats in a January 14 letter asking them to participate in a grant proposal for REAL ID implementation money. [ Read more ... ]

REAL ID Rule Represents Worst of Both Worlds - Via Center for Democracy and Technology:

Final regulations issued by the Department of Homeland Security have rendered the REAL ID Act, intended to strengthen processes for issuance of driver's licenses nationwide, virtually useless as a security measure, while exacerbating privacy problems, CDT concluded in a comprehensive analysis of the rules, which were issued last month. CDT is urging Congress to enact legislation addressing concerns about the privacy and security of information that will be stored on the new cards and in an electronic system used to link the states.

# REAL ID: What Should Congress Do Now? [PDF] February 01, 2008

(Read Original Article - Via Center for Democracy and Technology.)

DHS Issues REAL ID Standards; Congressional Leaders Respond - Via EFF: Deep Links:

On January 11, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the final regulations (PDFs 1, 2) for the implementation of the REAL ID Act, the flawed plan to create a national identity card system.

The REAL ID Act was signed into law in 2005 and forces states to standardize driver's licenses in a way that turns them into a national ID. The Real ID Act will create grave dangers to privacy and impose massive financial burdens without improving national security in the least.

Initial analysis of the rule seems to show few substantive differences from the previous proposed rule, and that the DHS plan only serves to lengthen the timeline of implementation. [ Read more ... ]

Who Loves Real ID? AOL, Microsoft and Yahoo Do.: "The federal Real ID Act doesn’t have many friends these days. Eighteen states have passed legislation rejecting the law, Congress has refused to put any money into implementing it, and just this week New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer announced he, not the Feds, would determine New York’s drivers license policy, with officials in his administration indicating the state might opt out of the Real ID program altogether.

The few remaining cheerleaders for this national ID system, which promises to be a nightmare for privacy and identity security, have resorted to classic doublespeak to try to salvage Real ID’s reputation. On the Department of Homeland Security blog Wednesday, Secretary Michael Chertoff claims Real ID would actually protect privacy. (‘War is Peace’ and ‘Freedom is Slavery’ will be the subjects of future blogs.) [ Read more ... ]

Officials say PR campaign may boost Real ID popularity: WASHINGTON--As controversy rages over forthcoming federal Real ID requirements, state officials should be plotting public relations strategies to counteract the well-publicized rebellion, past and present state motor vehicle administrators advised their colleagues Monday. [ Read more ... ]

Homeland Security Improves Privacy, DHS Chief Blogs: Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff'has a blog and today he penned a post about the relationship between privacy and security, arguing that Real ID and the Automated Targeting System prevent privacy intrusions. And the man has a little flair.

'The same terrorist organizations which plot to attack us want to wipe out our liberty, and we don't intend to make their job any easier by doing it ourselves,' Chertoff wrote. [ Read more ... ]

Another Loss for Real ID: "

The REAL ID Act took another blow in the Senate last week, hopefully putting legislators one step closer to ditching the national ID mandate.

An amendment tacked onto the Homeland Security appropriations bill would have given $300 million in federal funds to implement the Act. This measly sum would have done nothing to make up for the $23 billion burden states and taxpayers will be forced to bear. [ Read more ... ]

Senate Votes Against REAL ID Funding: "Today the Senate voted to kill an amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill that would have provided $300 million in funding for REAL ID. CDT applauds the Senate for this significant vote. In a letter sent to key Senators this week, CDT called on Congress to rectify the serious privacy and security holes in REAL ID before it even considers funding the measure. Today's vote represents the first time the Senate has voted up or down on REAL ID specifically. When the Act was initially passed in 2005, it was attached to a must-pass war and hurricane relief bill; and last month the REAL ID requirement for employment verification was buried in the massive immigration bill."

(Read Original Article - Via Center for Democracy and Technology.)

REAL ID Amendment Throws Good Money After Bad: "

Where we last left off with the REAL ID Act, members of Congress tried and failed to expand the reach of its privacy-invasive national ID mandate. Now Congress is set to consider yet another desperate attempt to lock-in this awful law, with Senator Lamar Alexander proposing 300 million dollars in additional federal funding as an amendment attached to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. [ Read more ... ]

N.H. Gov. signs bill that rejects federal Real ID law: "New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch last week signed into law a bill that forbids New Hampshire government agencies from complying with the controversial federal national identification act, or Real ID bill.

The New Hampshire Legislature had overwhelming passed the bill this past spring and handed it off to Lynch, who signed it on June 27.

'Real ID is intended to make us all safer, which I think we can all agree is a laudable goal,' said Lynch in a statement. 'However, I strongly believe Real ID's proposed haphazard implementation and onerous provisions would have the exact opposite effect. The federal government obviously did not think this burdensome system through and that is why we in New Hampshire are right to reject it.' [ Read more ... ]

NH Signs Bill That Rejects Federal Real ID: "jcatcw writes 'New Hampshire is part of a trend to oppose the federal Real ID act. The governor this week signed a bill that forbids state agencies from complying with the controversial federal regulation. The Real ID law, first passed by Congress in 2005, currently requires that all state driver's licenses and other identification cards include a digital photograph and a bar code that can be scanned by electronic readers. [ Read more ... ]

REAL ID Dealt Setback in Senate -- Keep the Momentum Going!: "

We've still got a long way to go before the privacy-invasive REAL ID Act is off the books, but yesterday's vote in the Senate may one day be seen as a critical moment on the road to victory.

A provision smuggled into the major immigration reform bill would have effectively forced every American to present a standardized national ID in order to get a job as part of a mandatory employment verification system. [ Read more ... ]

Action Alert: Stop the National ID Expansion!: "

Thousands of individuals and sixteen states have already told the federal government to dump the privacy-invasive REAL ID Act, which would standardize drivers' licenses into a national ID and create databases linking the records together. But instead of listening to the public, members of Congress are renewing their efforts to ram the unfunded mandate down everyone's throats. A provision smuggled into the major immigration reform bill would effectively force every American to present a standardized national ID in order to get a job and establish a huge 'employment verification' system filled with personal information.

The proposal is set for a floor vote next week -- call your Senators now to stop the national ID expansion. [ Read more ... ]

Passport Delays Suggest One More Reason to Ditch REAL ID: "

Forcing all state DMVs to issue new standardized drivers' licenses under REAL ID seems bound for catastrophe, and the federal government's recent passport delay debacle provides more reason to expect the worst.

According to the AP, 'The State Department has been flooded with passport applications since new rules requiring passports for air travelers went into effect in January. The resulting backlog has caused delays of up to three months for passports and ruined or delayed the travel plans of thousands of Americans.' Now the House of Representatives recently voted to delay the rules for 17 months. [ Read more ... ]