Tracking Your Race and Your Politics

by on May 5, 2008 · 6 comments

Can a company have a Freudian slip? If it’s possible, L-1 Identity Solutions has commited one.

In a promotional brochure for REAL ID Act “solutions,” it implicitly touts the ability to track people by race and by political party. This is not required by the REAL ID Act, but it’s not barred by it either.

In my testimony to Congress and in a post here, I pointed out the concern that REAL ID could be used for racial tracking. Political party is a new one, but who knows what would happen should the system be implemented.

Excerpt of L1 REAL ID promotion

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About Jim Harper

Jim Harper is the Director of Information Policy Studies at The Cato Institute, the Editor of Web-based privacy think-tank Privacilla.org, and the Webmaster of WashingtonWatch.com. A Poli Sci major at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Jim served as Editor-in-Chief of the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly in his final year at Hastings College of the Law. Prior to becoming a policy analyst and advocate, Jim served as counsel to committees in both the U.S. House and Senate. He avoids genuine life experience by watching lots and lots of reality TV.

Read more articles by Jim Harper.

  • Ryan Radia

    Truly remarkable. Between this and past comments by DHS officials, who needs us? This Orwellian image, political affiliation included, is a pretty compelling reason in and of itself to be against the REAL ID.

  • Ryan Radia

    Truly remarkable. Between this and past comments by DHS officials, who needs us? This Orwellian image, political affiliation included, is a pretty compelling reason in and of itself to be against the REAL ID.

  • peter

    At least they are sensitive enough not to list the person’s weight! We would not want to offend anyone.

    The two party system would love to have REAL ID list political preference and be required for voting. It would be done under the auspices of preventing fraud (looking forward to fingerprint authentication before you vote?), but would be used as a political tool to more efficiently track who is voting and from what party. Race, religion, and other demographics would help them to better target people with customized messages in the future.

  • peter

    At least they are sensitive enough not to list the person’s weight! We would not want to offend anyone.

    The two party system would love to have REAL ID list political preference and be required for voting. It would be done under the auspices of preventing fraud (looking forward to fingerprint authentication before you vote?), but would be used as a political tool to more efficiently track who is voting and from what party. Race, religion, and other demographics would help them to better target people with customized messages in the future.

  • http://enigmafoundry.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/the-riaa-loses-but-doesnt-realize-it-or-boycotting-the-riaa-has-never-made-more-sense-or-been-easier/ enigma_foundry

    It’s interesting that libertarians see this as overstep by the government.

    I would say that it is trespass by a corporation, as it is, aided by the government. The reason why the government is aiding these corporations is that we have so weakened the civic power structures that they don’t stand up to the big corporations anymore.

  • http://enigmafoundry.wordpress.com eee_eff

    It’s interesting that libertarians see this as overstep by the government.

    I would say that it is trespass by a corporation, as it is, aided by the government. The reason why the government is aiding these corporations is that we have so weakened the civic power structures that they don’t stand up to the big corporations anymore.

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