Your ID Please, Citizen

WHOSE DATABASE, ANYWAY?


The biggest challenge for a

national ID system is ensuring the accuracy of the information used to build a database of names, biometrics, and the like. There are more than 200 million state driver's licenses in the country, representing the largest collection of data of its kind. The most pressing question: How accurate are these databases? How easy is it to obtain a license fraudulently? As the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators points out, al Qaeda terrorists used licenses to build U.S. identities. In January

the AAMVA proposed beefing up the system by establishing uniform standards for licenses, coordinating data between states, and improving security and biometrics. A national

ID initiative could be a springboard for this effort.