On the podcast this week, Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the Cato Institute, discusses identification systems. He talks about REAL ID, a national uniform ID law passed in 2005 that states have contested, and NSTIC, a more recent government proposal to create an online identification “ecosystem.” Harper discusses some of the hidden costs of establishing national identification systems and why doing so is not a proper role of government. He also comments on the reasoning behind national ID proposals and talks about practical, beneficial limits to transparency.
Related Links
- “REAL ID Is Still Dead, But It Is Walking Dead,” by Harper
- “Cyber-Security Czar Defends Government Role,” the Wall Street Journal
- “Why You Should Trust Apple More Than the U.S. Commerce Dept. With Your Universal Online ID,” Fast Company
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The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology.
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