From: Gary Howland <gary@systemics.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 07:57:22 +0800
To: "Timothy C. May" <tcmay@got.net>
Subject: Re: DL in exchange for fingerprint
In-Reply-To: <ae66bb9816021004790c@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <3241B75D.41C67EA6@systemics.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Timothy C. May wrote:
> 
> (Yes, I disliked being thumb-printed, but I could see no viable
> alternative. I'm sure Duncan has some scheme to declare himself a Botswanan
> exchange student, but I decided being thumb-printed was the lesser hassle.)

Sure, it's always less hassle doing what they want.  Privacy doesn't
come for free.  It's easier to let the police search you in the street
than it is to make them arrest you so that you can make a formal
complaint.


> By the way, the next rev of the California driver's license will reportedly
> have one's *Social Security Number* printed on the card! So much for the
> statement clearly printed on my card:
> 
> "For social security and tax purposes -- not for identification."

So?  My passport reads "let the bearer travel without let or hindrance"
- yet I still get enormous grief every time I enter the country that
issued it.


> Paraphrasing that famous quote, just which part of "not for identification"
> don't they understand?

Hmm - who are you paraphrasing here? (Just curious).


> (Indeed, I am asked for my SSN in many places. A few times I've refused to
> give it. Once the clerk just said, "Fine, I have it here on my computer
> anyway." Refusing to give it is probably no longer meaningful, due to
> massively cross-linked data bases.)
> 
> Again, we desperately need an infrastructure of "credentials without identity."

Or widespread disinformation - don't stand up for your "right" not to
disclose your SSN - simply give them one with errors in - that way their
whole database starts to lose value.


Gary
--
"Of course the US Constitution isn't perfect; but it's a lot better
than what we have now."  -- Unknown.

pub  1024/C001D00D 1996/01/22  Gary Howland <gary@systemics.com>
Key fingerprint =  0C FB 60 61 4D 3B 24 7D  1C 89 1D BE 1F EE 09 06