Case
#1:
Repeal laws that centralize and universalize government data
collection
Case
#2:
Privatize Social Security
Case
#3:
Deregulate strong encryption
Case#4:
Protecting Medical Privacy with Medical IRAs
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The United States has moved
steadily toward mandating that each American carry a National Identification
Card with a number to which all government data on citizens is keyed. Until
repealed last year, a provision buried in a 1500-page Act of Congress
(Public Law 104-208) pushed states to make the collection and use of large
amounts of personal data much easier for the federal government. This
provision mandated states standardize driver's license cards by linking them
to Social Security numbers and further mandating this card (or a
non-driver's equivalent) be presented any time a citizen wishes to receive a
service from the federal government. It also mandated that states develop
technological innovations to make the card more "secure."
Legislative opponents of PL 104-208
have pointed out that the offending section of the law "greatly
expand[s] the dissemination and misuse of the social security account number
at a time when the Congress, the States, and the public are actually taking
measures to reduce the use of Social Security numbers as drivers' identity
numbers.8
" But the law turned the tide in ways that its recent repeal has not
undone. According to Claire Wolfe, "Some 28 states have begun, or are
proposing, to change their drivers' licenses since the federal law was
passed. Changes and proposals include digitally encoded fingerprints;
digital, computer-readable photo; digitally encoded retinal scan; and other
forms of biometric ID.9
"
Other recently passed legislation
ensures that there is plenty of new data to be linked to with this high tech
ID. A law ostensibly passed to aid enforcement against "deadbeat
dads" mandates the creation of a massive database of every newly hired
person in the country. The text of the law does not make clear why the
database doesn't catalog individuals against whom child-support claims have
been made, but it certainly will be useful for tracking the job history of
law-abiding citizens. There is no good reason why the government should have
ready electronic access to this kind of information about ordinary
Americans, but its capacity for social control is significantly enhanced by
it.
Questions and comments welcome: Send to adc@mackinac.org
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