From: wcs@anchor.ho.att.com (bill.stewart@pleasantonca.ncr.com +1-510-484-6204)
Date: Fri, 8 Apr 94 01:14:55 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re:  New ID technique: warning of things to come
Message-ID: <9404080814.AA05552@anchor.ho.att.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


> 
> I have been abroad for the past few weeks. In the course of my travels, I
> was given some data about a new program that the US Dept. of State/Customs
> and Immigration people are moving into limited testing at JFK and LAX.
> 
> They want to implement a "fast, positive identification system to speed
> processing of entrants to the United States by use of biometric data."
> The system works by use of a handprint scanner, and a smart card.
> Participants would go through an initial hand scan, and then be issued
> a smartcard. Upon subsequent entries to the US, instead of going through
> the normal passport check, you would place your hand on a scanner and insert
> your card in the slot. The system would then positively identify you, and
> clear you for entry.

This was mentioned in the press a while back; it's not intended for everyone,
but frequent travellers, including US subjects and non-US-subjects,
would be able to get them to speed going through the border police.
Don't know implementation timeframe, and as Lyle said,
they weren't real explicit about what they planned to do with the
data they collect.  Paper passports and border police are already offensive;
I've got no plans to get more people-control technology applied to me.
# Bill Stewart  AT&T Global Information Solutions, aka NCR Corp
# 6870 Koll Center Parkway, Pleasanton CA, 94566 Phone 1-510-484-6204 fax-6399
# email bill.stewart@pleasantonca.ncr.com billstewart@attmail.com
# ViaCrypt PGP Key IDs 384/C2AFCD 1024/9D6465