- CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion
and Numbering) has joined a coalition of over 50 leading organizations
to oppose REAL ID, a U.S. government program that would turn state driver's
licenses into national identification cards. The coalition is encouraging
citizens to demonstrate overwhelming opposition to proposed rules for this
program so the government will rethink its dangerously flawed plan.
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- Congress approved the REAL ID Act in 2005, giving the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security the power to set federal driver's
license standards. The Act also paves the way for a vast shared national
database that could include sensitive personal documents like birth certificates,
medical records, and a multitude of other details about licensees.
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- "REAL ID conjures up images of jack-booted authorities
demanding 'Your papers, please,'" said Dr. Katherine Albrecht, Founder
and Director of CASPIAN. "Americans instinctively understand the importance
of limiting federal authority over their lives and are resisting this plan
in record numbers."
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- In addition to privacy and civil liberties issues raised
by the Act, groups are also denouncing the plan's inherent insecurity.
Unifying vast amounts of personal data in a single interlinked database
with multiple points of access will increase the risk of counterfeiting
and identity theft.
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- Albrecht points out that the plan also raises serious
privacy issues. "A database filled with sensitive personal information
on virtually every adult in the U.S. will be a tempting target for private
industry and marketers -- if the identity thieves don't get to it first,"
she said.
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- The numerous problems associated with REAL ID have united
a broad spectrum of trans-partisan, nonpartisan, privacy, consumer, civil
liberty, civil rights, and immigrant organizations. Coalition members include
the American Library Association, the Electronic Privacy Information Center,
and the Consumer Federation of California.
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- The coalition is urging citizens to submit comments opposing
the the national identification scheme. The draft regulations to implement
the REAL ID Act are open for comment until 5:00 PM EST on May 8, 2007.
The comments can be submitted in one of three ways:
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- 1. Online through the Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov
(search for "DHS-2006-0030-0001" and follow the instructions
for submitting comments); 2. Fax to 1-866-466-5370. Your fax must state
that you are submitting comments in response to Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
DHS-2006-0030. 3. Postal Mail sent to Department of Homeland Security;
Attn: NAC 1-12037; Washington, D.C. 20538. Your letter must state that
you are submitting comments in response to Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
DHS-2006-0030.
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- For more information, visit http://www.privacycoalition.org/stoprealid/
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- ABOUT CASPIAN
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- CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion
and Numbering) is a grass-roots consumer group fighting retail surveillance
schemes since 1999 and irresponsible RFID use since 2002. With thousands
of members in all 50 U.S. states and over 30 countries worldwide, CASPIAN
seeks to educate consumers about marketing strategies that invade their
privacy and encourage privacy-conscious shopping habits across the retail
spectrum.
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- FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW, PLEASE
CONTACT:
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- Katherine Albrecht (kma@spychips.com) 877-287-5854 ext.
1 or Liz McIntyre (liz@spychips.com) 877-287-5854 ext. 2
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- See:http://www.spychips.com
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