House approves electronic ID cards | CNET News.com.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved on Thursday a sweeping
set of rules aimed at forcing states to issue all adults federally
approved electronic ID cards, including driver's licenses.
Under the rules, federal employees would reject licenses or identity
cards that don't comply, which could curb Americans' access to
airplanes, trains, national parks, federal courthouses and other areas
controlled by the federal government. The bill was approved by a 261-161 vote.
The measure, called the Real ID Act,
says that driver's licenses and other ID cards must include a digital
photograph, anticounterfeiting features and undefined “machine-readable
technology, with defined minimum data elements” that could include a
magnetic strip or RFID tag. The Department of Homeland Security would
be charged with drafting the details of the regulation.
[Privacy Digest: Privacy News (Civil Rights, Encryption, Free Speech, Cryptography)]