A 'piece of identification' ('ID') is a
document designed to verify aspects of a person's identity. It is also called an 'identity document' or, if in the form of a small standard-sized card, an 'identity card' ('ID card').
Possible inclusions
Information present on the document — or in a supporting database — might include the bearer's full name, a portrait photo, age, birth date, address, an identification number, profession or rank, religion, ethnic or racial classification, restrictions, and citizenship status. New
technologies could allow identity cards to contain
biometric information, such as
photographs,
face,
hand or
iris measurements, or
fingerprints.
Electronic identity cards or e-IDs are already available in some territories such as
Hong Kong,
Malaysia,
Estonia,
Belgium,
Portugal and
Spain.
Morocco is also planning to launch a new identity card of
biometric type by January 2007.
Identity cards
Identity cards are a source of continuous debate. Their use is backed by law enforcement officials who claim that it can make surveillance and identification of criminals much easier. However, concern is also expressed about the extensive cost and potential abuse of hi-tech
smartcards.
In the
United Kingdom and the
United States especially, central government issued compulsory identity cards or, to be more precise, their centralised database are a source of debate as they are regarded as an infringement of
privacy and
civil liberties. Most criticism is directed towards the the enhanced possibilities of extensive abuse of centralised and comprehensive databases storing sensitive data. A 2006 survey of UK
Open University students concluded that the planned compulsory identity card coupled with a central government database generated the most negative attitudinal response among several alternative configurations.
[1]
Arguments for
★ Identity verification in banks or at national borders without recourse to a more physically bulky
passport
★ Quick ownership or eligibility verification; for example, when paying with a
credit card or
cheque, or attempting to buy age-restricted products.
★ False identification may be reduced in countries where identity cards are required to open a bank account. Of course,
phishing and many other forms of
identity theft will be unaffected.
★ Identity cards can be a useful administrative tool that can increase efficiency in dealings with both the government and private companies.
★ ID cards reduce crime. All banks require that ID cards be presented by customers, which increases security. Certain auction houses also require them from sellers.
★ In American states that don't issue identity cards, private companies require equivalent documents, such as driver's licenses, which are not properly suited for identification purposes. Persons who don't have a driver's license are usually required in practice to get a document that is something very much like an identity card.
★ Law enforcers can locate and identify people who either do not know or cannot communicate their names and/or addresses (e.g., due to
Alzheimer's disease,
amnesia or heavy intoxication), or who claim names that are not consistent with the names on their identity cards (e.g., due to
dissociative identity disorder, as in the case of
Billy Milligan).
★ Cards may help reduce immigration service bureaucracy. In certain countries, the procedures for deporting
illegal immigrants whose ages, identities or nationalities cannot be formally established are more complex than those for whom they can be readily asserted. This gives illegal immigrants more time to prepare their legal defence. In some countries (
Spain, for instance) it may prevent the immigrant's deportation altogether. However, in this situation most illegal immigrants will destroy their identity papers, nullifying the reduction in bureaucracy.
★ All humans already carry personal identification, which cannot be discarded or falsified: DNA. In lieu of identity cards, use of
DNA sequencing hashes may soon become the preferred method for personal identification, even when interacting with private economic entities. The use of identity cards is arguably a lesser evil compared to the potentially extensive privacy risks associated with daily use of DNA for identification purposes.
Arguments against
★ It has been argued that identity cards impose a disproportionate burden upon both government and citizens while empowering the executive, which is contrary to the maxim: "the government that governs best, governs least". Some have pointed out that extensive
lobbying for identity cards has been undertaken, in countries without compulsory identity cards, by IT companies who will be likely to reap rich benefits in the event of an identity card scheme being implemented.
★ Cards with centralised database could be used to track anyone's movements and private life, thus endangering
privacy. The proposed British ID card (see next section) will involve a series of linked databases, to be managed by the private sector. Managing disparate linked systems using a range of institutions and any number of personnel is alleged to be a security disaster in the making.
[1]
★ A requirement to carry an identity card at all times can lead to the inconvenience of arbitrary requests from card controllers (such as the
police). This can lead to
functionality creep whereby carrying a card becomes ''
de facto'' if not ''
de jure'' compulsory, as in the case of
Social Security numbers, which are now widely used as ID.
★ Government claims that identity cards will prevent crimes may not be based in fact. The former UK
Home Secretary Charles Clarke conceded that identity cards may only be useful in the identification of bodies in the aftermath of a crime. The facts that the terrorists involved in
9/11 and the
London tube attacks did have and would have had identity cards, respectively. As a strong presumption of identity is given in favour of a card holder, the identity card scheme might be an asset to potential terrorists.
★ Historically,
totalitarian governments which issued identity cards to citizens used them forcefully. For example,
Nazi Germany made use of unique biometric identities by tattooing identification numbers on the arms of concentration-camp detainees. More recently, the
apartheid-era government of
South Africa used
pass books as
internal passports to oppress that country's black population.
★ In many cases, other forms of documentation such as a
driver's license,
passport, or
Medicare card serve a similar function on a more limited scale, and thus an ID card is not needed.
★ The cost of introducing and administering an identity card system can be very high. Figures from £30 (US$60) to £90 or even higher have been suggested for the proposed UK ID card.
[2]
★ In some countries where ID cards are required to show religious affiliation (as used to be the case in
Greece) or ethnic background, this can lead to cases of
discrimination. This can become a bureaucratic nightmare when a person changes his or her affiliation which in any case should be a private matter of no business to officialdom.
★ Some schemes do not adequately take into account whether
data subjects have legitimate reasons to conceal their identity. Victims of domestic violence, witnesses in criminal investigations and trials, and others, may not want their identity or locations to be widely known. Some proposed schemes also do not adequately address these considerations.
★ ID cards could lead to an 'increase' in identity fraud since it would lead to official reliance on a card or document that can be forged. No country has ever successfully produced a totally unforgeable ID card.
Nations with
According to
Privacy International,
as of 1996, around 100 countries had compulsory identity cards.
The term "compulsory" may have different meanings and implications in different countries. The compulsory character may apply only after a certain age. Often, a ticket can be given for being found without one's identification document, or in some cases a person may even be detained until the identity is ascertained. In practice, random controls are rare, except in certain times.
Chile
Every resident in Chile over the age of 18 must have and carry at all times their ID Card called "Cedúla de Identidad" issued by the Civil Registry and Identification Service. It contains the full name, gender, nationality, date of birth, a photograph, right thumb print, ID number and the personal signature.
This is the only official form of identification for residents in Chile and is widely used and accepted as such. Its necessary for every contract, most bank transactions, voting, driving (along with the driver's license) and other public and private situations.
The refusal to carry or show the ID to a law enforcement agent (civil or
uniformed police) can lead to detention up to 6 hours or until the identity can be verified (whichever comes first).
Estonia
Estonian ID card
The Estonian ID card () is a
chipped picture ID in the
Republic of Estonia. It is officially a primary
picture ID by the
Republic of Estonia, and as such, recognised by all member states of the
European Union. For travelling outside EU, Estonian citizens may also request a
passport.
Finland
In Finland, any citizen can get an identification card (''henkilökortti''). This is, along with the passport, one of the two official identity documents. It is available as an electronic ID card (''sähköinen henkilökortti''), which enables logging in to certain government services on the Internet.
Driving licenses and
KELA (social security) cards with a picture are also widely used for general identification purposes, even though they are not officially recognized as such.
France
Main articles: French national identity card
France has had a national ID card since 1940, when it helped the
Vichy authorities identify 76,000 for deportation as part of
the Holocaust. Italian philosopher
Giorgio Agamben often underlines this, showing how
anthropometry may be used by the state.
In the past, identity cards were compulsory, had to be updated each year in case of change of residence and were valid for 10 years, and their renewal required paying a fee. In addition to the face photograph, the card included the family name, first names, date and place of birth, and the national identity number managed by the national
INSEE registry, and which is also used as the national service registration number, as the Social Security account number for health and retirement benefits, for access to court files and for tax purposes.
Today, the law (Art. 78-1 to 78-6 of the French Penal Procedure Code
[3]) only mentions that during a ID check performed by police or gendarmerie, one can prove his identity "by any means", the validity of which is left to the appreciation of the law enforcement official. Though not stated explicitly in the law, an ID card or a passport will, in most circumstances, be sufficient. The decision to accept other documents, with or without the bearer's photograph is left to the discretion of the law enforcement officer.
Random checks of passers-by's ID by the French police are quite common, especially in poorer neighborhoods. Even though it is not compulsory
de jure to carry an ID, not doing so may lead to a
de facto arrest ("vérification d'identité") of up to 4 hours according to art. 78-3 of the French Penal Procedure Code ("Code de procédure pénale").
[4] [5]
For financial transactions, ID cards and passports are almost always accepted as proof of identity. Due to common forgery, driver licenses are sometimes refused. For transactions by cheque involving a larger sum, two different ID documents are frequently requested by merchants.
The current identification cards are now issued free of charge, and are non-compulsory. The current government has proposed a compulsory biometric card system, which has been opposed by human rights groups and by the national authority and regulator on computing systems and databases, the ''Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés'',
CNIL. Another non-compulsory project is being discussed.
Greece
Greek ID card (front)
Greek ID card (back)
A compulsory, universal ID system based on personal ID cards has been in place in Greece since
World War II. ID cards are issued by the police on behalf of the Ministry of Public Order and display the holder's signature, standardized face photograph, name and surname, father's name and surname, mother's name and maiden surname, date and place of birth, height, electoral district (''Demotologion''), and the issuing police precinct. There are also two optional fields designed to facilitate emergency medical care:
ABO and
Rhesus factor blood typing.
Fields included in previous ID card formats, such as vocation or profession, religious denomination, domiciliary address, name and surname of spouse, fingerprint, eye and hair color, citizenship and ethnicity were removed permanently as being intrusive of personal data and/or superfluous for the sole purpose of personal identification.
Since
2000, name fields have been filled in both Greek and Latin characters. According to the Signpost Service of the European Commission [reply to Enquiry 36581], old type Greek ID cards "are as valid as the new type according to Greek law and thus they constitute valid travel documents that all other EU Member States are obliged to accept." In addition to being equivalent to passports within the
Schengen Treaty Area, Greek ID cards are the principal means of identification of voters during elections.
Since
2005, the procedure to issue an ID card has been automated and now all citizens over 12 years of age must have an ID card, which is issued within one workday. Prior to that date, the age of compulsory issue was at 14 and the whole procedure could last several months.
In Greece, an ID card is a citizen's most important state document, as it is used in most public and many private transactions. For instance, it is required for opening a bank account, to perform banking transactions if the teller personnel is unfamiliar with the apparent account holder, to make a contract, to have state insurance, to register in a school or university, to take part in driving license examinations, to interact with the Citizen Service Bureaus
(KEP) etc. Citizens are also required to produce their ID card at the request of law enforcement personnel. Failure to do so can lead to brief detention for the purposes of identity verification.
Legal resident aliens from non-
EU countries are issued a similar document, colloquially called a
green card. For non-residents, the passport acts as the ID card.
EU citizens may produce any document that is valid in their own country.
Italy
Everybody in Italy over 15 can have a 4-page Identity Card issued by the town of residence. The first page includes the ID card number, the issuing town, and the name and surname. On the second page the card shows again the name and surname, together with the birth date and place, the gender, and the current address. The third page of the document includes a colour photograph and the signature. It also contains the issue date. The card has a validity of 5 years.
The ID number is two letters followed by seven or more digits and is unique.
In Italy, an ID card is the most important document of a citizen. It can be used instead of a passport to create a bank account, to validate a credit card transaction, to vote, to enter many countries in Europe (including
Switzerland) and to check in on flights to these countries, etc. However, for most of these uses it can be replaced with other documents, including the
driving licence. It is required to show such a document to every police officer's request.
As of 2007 a new electronic identity card is being phased in.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, all adult citizens must register for the Computerized National Identity Card (
CNIC) at the age of 18. The card has come into regular usage because of the multiple uses of the card. The unique card number provided to each card holder is used to identify people across Pakistan's organizations.
Earlier on the National Identity Card (NIC) was issued based on a non electronic database. Then the national database authority
NADRA set up an electronic database for registration of all Pakistani citizens and started issuing the new machine readable Identity cards, the CNIC.
Poland
Polish national ID card (front and back)
In Poland everyone over 18 must have Identity Card (''Dowód osobisty'') issued by local administration.
Singapore
In Singapore, every citizen, and permanent resident (PR) must register at the age of 15 for an Identity Card (IC). The card has become necessary in day to day life, not only for identification for state-procedures, but also day to day ones. IC numbers are required in registering for a mobile phone line, obtaining certain discounts at stores, and logging on to certain websites on the internet. Schools frequently use it to identify students, on-line, and in exams.
More information on the Singaporean compulsory Identification Card, and accompanying procedures can be found on the government website: http://app.ica.gov.sg/serv_citizen/identity_card/ic_registration.asp
Spain
Everybody in Spain over 14 must have a National Identity Card ''(Documento nacional de identidad'' usually abbreviated to DNI) issued by the National Police. On the front side there is a colour photograph, the name and two surnames (see
Spanish naming customs), the bearers signature, an id number, the issue date and the expiration date. Depending on holder's age, the card has a validity of 5 years, 10 years or indefinite (for the elderly).
On the reverse appears the birth date and place, the genre, both parents' name (if known) and the current address. At the bottom, some of the previous information is written in special characters suitable to be read by
OCR.
The id number is an eight digit number followed by a letter. The letter is only a
CRC used to verify the correctness of the number. This id number is unique, and is used by the Spanish ''Hacienda Pública'' (equivalent to the
United States Department of the Treasury) to keep track of each citizen's income taxes and financial status.
In Spain, an ID card is the most important document of a citizen. It is used in all public and private transactions. It is required to open a bank account, to sign a contract, to have state insurance, to register in a university or to be fined by a policeman. It is one of the official documents required to vote at any election, although any other form of official ID such as a driving license or passport may be used. A police officer can require it to be shown and non-compliance may lead to arrest and detention.
Since 2006 a new version of the 'DNI' is being introduced. The new 'Electronic DNI' is a
Smart card that allows for digital signing of documents. It conveys the same printed information as the older version, but in a plastic card with a different design.
Nations without
A number of countries do not use country-wide identity cards to verify identity. These include
Australia,
Denmark,
Ireland,
Japan,
New Zealand,
Norway,
UK.
United Kingdom
Main articles: British national identity card
Since the early 1950s there has been no national identity card in the
United Kingdom, but the Identity Cards Act (effective
30 March 2006) makes one compulsory for anyone getting a new or renewed passport from 2008.
Driving licences and
passports are now the most widely used ID documents. There are also various
PASS-accredited cards, used mainly for proof of age purposes.
United States
Main articles: Identity documents in the United States
The United States of America passed a bill entitled the
Real ID Act on
May 11,
2005. The bill compels states to begin redesigning their driver's licenses to comply with federal antiterrorist standards by December of 2009. Federal employees would reject licenses or identity cards that don't comply, which would force Americans accessing everything from airplanes to national parks and some courthouses to have the federally mandated cards.
The bill takes place as governments are growing more interested in implanting technology in ID cards to make them smarter and more secure. The U.S. State Department soon will begin issuing passports with
radio frequency identification, or RFID, chips embedded in them, and Virginia may become the first state to glue RFID tags into all its driver's licenses.
The Real ID Act gives unfettered authority to the Department of Homeland Security to dictate and design some aspects of state ID cards and driver's licenses. Among the possibilities: biometric information such as retinal scans, fingerprints, DNA data and RFID tracking technology.
Nations currently implementing
India is beginning to issue national ID cards, see
MNIC -
Multipurpose National Identity Card (India) [6]
China is instituting
biometric ID cards, beginning with the city of
Shenzhen. The card will document data such as work history, educational background, religion, ethnicity, police record, medical insurance status, landlord's phone number and personal reproductive history.
[2]
Non-compulsory schemes
A number of countries have non-compulsory identity card schemes. These include
Austria,
Canada,
Finland,
France (see
France section),
Hungary (however, all citizens of Hungary must have at least one of: valid passport, photocard driving licence, or the National ID card),
Iceland,
Sweden,
Switzerland.
In the
European Union identity cards
meeting an European standard can be used by
European citizens as a
travel document replacing
passports.
During the
UK Presidency of the EU in 2005 a decision was made to: "Agree common standards for security features and secure issuing procedures for ID cards (December 2005), with detailed standards agreed as soon as possible thereafter. In this respect, the UK Presidency has put forward a proposal for EU-wide use of biometrics in national ID cards."
[3]
In the United States, some states issue non compulsory identity cards for people who do not hold a driver's license as an alternate means of identification. In some states such as New York, these cards are issued by the same organization responsible for driver's license, the
Department of Motor Vehicles.
Non-sovereign state
Some
Basque nationalist organizations are issuing para-official identity cards (''
Euskal Nortasun Agiria'') as a means to reject the nationality notions implied by Spanish and French compulsory documents. Then, they try to use the ENA instead of the official document.
For the people of
Western Sahara, pre-1975 Spanish cards are the main proof that they were Saharaui citizens as opposed to recent Moroccan colonists. They would be thus allowed to vote in an eventual self-determination referendum.
Some companies and government departments issue ID cards for security purposes; they may also be proof of a qualification. For example, all
taxi drivers in the
UK and
Hong Kong carry ID cards. In
Queensland and Western Australia, anyone working with children has to take a
background check and get issued a
Blue Card or Working with Children Card, respectively.
See also
★
List of identity cards by country
★
Access badge
★
Anthropometry
★
Biometrics
★
Common Access Card
★
Credential
★
Home Return Permit, a special kind a national ID card issued for
PRC citizens living in
Hong Kong and
Macao.
★
Identity document forgery
★
Keycard
★
Magnetic stripe card
★
Pass Law, which mandated people carry a ''pass book'' in
apartheid South Africa
★
Passport
★
Physical Security
★
Proximity card
★
Smart card
★
Swipe card
★
Visa (document)
★
NO2ID – campaigning against ID cards in the
UK
References
1. Watching me, watching you: privacy attitudes and reactions to identity card implementation scenarios in the United Kingdom, , Adam N., Joinson, Journal of Information Science, 2006
2. [7]
3. EU: UK Presidency advances EU-wide ID card standards, data retention and intelligence sharing to fight terrorism
External links
★
Information on ID Card Systems, including mobile identification and credentialing systems
★
Information on Smart Cards
★
Privacy International identity card FAQ
★
Telegraph story: the case for and against identity cards
★
REAL ID Watch
★
The Loyal Nine, youth based civil liberties organization.
★
ID Card – Is Big Brother Stalking You? –
MP3 recording and reference list from
Diffusion science radio program on
2SER broadcast on 1st March 2007.
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