gregh 2006-12-13 01:01 elections homeland_security information_privacy Law personal_information privacy real_id
This is good news. Getting through finals kept me from seeing this right away. The text is not currently on Thomas yet, so I'm not sure what the details are. Homeland Security Watch says it rolls back to § 7212 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, but the text from the ACLU press release below makes it sound like it goes even further.
In particular, increased protection of driver's license data from third parties (esp. if beyond what the DPPA provides), encryption of collected data, and the protection of state privacy laws (which weren't impacted by § 7212, anyway) all sound good.
Hopefully, with the new Congress, this thing will stand a chance.
American Civil Liberties Union : ACLU Lauds Akaka-Sununu Real ID Fix Bill, Says Additional Privacy and Civil Liberties Safeguards Still Needed:
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the introduction of bipartisan legislation authored by Senators Daniel Akaka (D-HI) and John Sununu (R-NH) that would add privacy and civil liberties safeguards to the Real ID Act. The 'Identification Security Enhancement Act of 2006' would address several of the shortcomings of the controversial legislation adopted last year, including the establishment of a National ID.
. . .
The Real ID Act was adopted last year as part of a must-pass military appropriations bill. The act rolls back civil liberties protections, attacks privacy rights and sets the stage for a national ID. Many diverse groups including the ACLU, the National Association of Evangelicals, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Governors Association and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators opposed the Real ID Act. Conservative estimates place the minimum cost of the program at $12 billion.
The Akaka-Sununu bill would eliminate most of the requirements that laid the foundation for a National ID card, such as the obligation that all data and systems be standardized. The bill also changes the approach to drivers’ licenses by calling for more flexible 'standards' instead of the current uniform mandates. In perhaps its most significant privacy fix, the legislation prohibits the use of license data by third parties, requires encryption of the data itself and preserves any state privacy laws that may provide greater protections.
(Via Homeland Security Watch.)
