From: Eric Murray <ericm@lne.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 1998 00:42:33 +0800
To: shamrock@cypherpunks.to
Subject: Re: Driver Licenses
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.96.980209084404.15559A-100000@pakastelohi.cypherpunks.to>
Message-ID: <199802091627.IAA15679@slack.lne.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Lucky Green writes:
> 
> On Sun, 8 Feb 1998, William H. Geiger III wrote:
> > My question is what is the best way to remove this information from the
> > cards?
> 
> Making the mag stripe on a driver license unreadable by a POS terminal is
> easy. A refrigerator magnet will suffice. There is only one problem:
> chances are you then won't be sold any alcohol.
> 
> See, major chains, such as the Southland corporation [7/11], recently
> installed POS terminals that are linked to the cash register. [This may
> not have reached a particular reader's area yet, please don't reply with
> "but my 7/11 down the corner does not do this"].

I have no idea if my local 7/11 does this.  I don't even know
where my local 7/11 is.  I do however find it interesting that they're
implementing this policy when there are still legally-issued non-mag-stripe
driver's licenses in circulation... like mine, issued in 1980
(extended many times) and valid til the end of this year.


> Unless a driver license has been swiped, the cash register will not permit
> the clerk to ring up the sale. It doesn't matter how old you are, you can
> be 80 years old and in a wheelchair, no government issued ID with working
> mag stripe, no alcohol or tobacco products for you.

Never mind that the CDL isn't supposed to be a citizen's ID badge.
 
> The clerk at my local 7/11 assured me the information captured would not
> be forwarded to a central site. Yet. It appears the stores are installing
> these systems to protect themselves against police sting "test buys", in
> which the authorities take persons just days shy of their 21st birthday,
> put theater makeup and/or a gray beard and wig on them and thus entrap
> store clerks into selling controlled substances to minors.
> 
> As any fool can predict, the information captured will not remain local
> for long. After all, the system is ideal for monitoring gun^H^H^H alcohol
> purchases of parolees, tracking down deadbeat dads, etc.

We're building Big Brother, one tiny step at a time.
I hear we're going to war against Oceania again next month.

-- 
Eric Murray  Chief Security Scientist  N*Able Technologies  www.nabletech.com
(email:  ericm  at  lne.com   or   nabletech.com)          PGP keyid:E03F65E5