In the on-going trend of swapping privacy for State security, ABC radio news reported (3PM EST), the CIA has been sectretly working with an East coast company to create a national database of Driver's licenses using photos given ususpectingly by state DMV's. Officials in S. Carolina are peeved at the deception, as they turned over perhaps millions of photos for what they thought was another project by this firm.

I know the Feds have been actively working towards a National Biometric ID Driver's license, to be held in a Federal database. This is clearly unConstitutional, but hey - - that don't matter anymore does it?

With all the news of secret military maneuvers, quiet contingency plans and now this, seems to me Uncle Sam is not only distrustful of it's people, but making plans to track and coral us as well.

Diane....help me hotlink the story if you can find it. I'm not sure if it's an ABC exclusive or a wire story tey obtained it from.

Something is definitely up folks. News like this is growing exponentially.

To all our peril.

-- INVAR (gundark@aol.com), February 18, 1999

Answers

Sorry about the typos folks. Too much coffee - - I'm missing keystrokes.

-- INVAR (gundark@aol.com), February 18, 1999.

It's the secret service and is on CNN's web site:

www.cnn.com

R

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), February 18, 1999.

Secret Service Thinks Anti-Fraud Database May Help Fight Terrorism, Immigration Abuse

7.42 a.m. ET (1242 GMT) February 18, 1999

WASHINGTON  A New Hampshire company trying to build a national database of driver's license photographs received nearly $1.5 million in funds and technical assistance from the Secret Service last year, according to The Washington Post.

Image Data is being challenged by a handful of states that do not want to sell the company their license databases The newspaper quotes a letter from eight members of Congress in September 1997 thanking Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., "for including $1.46 million for a pilot program to combat identity-based crimes."

The money, part of the fiscal 1998 federal budget, went to Image Data LLC of Nashua, N.H., a company that says it is trying to build an anti-fraud database for the use of retailers in combating fraud, the Post reported in today's editions.

The letter said Image Data's "TrueID technology has widespread potential to reduce crime in the credit and checking fields, in airports to reduce the chances of terrorism, and in immigration and naturalization to verify proper identity."

It also said "the Secret Service can provide technical assistance and assess the effectiveness of this technology." Among the lawmakers signing it were Sen. Judd Gregg and Rep. Charles F. Bass, both R- N.H., and Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C.

A South Carolina judge last week rejected that state's attempt to halt on privacy grounds the sale of its driver's license photo images to the company.

South Carolina's Public Safety Department sold 3.5 million driver's license photos to Image Data for $5,000 to test the company's system for confirming a customer's identity when a credit card or personal check is used. The state then sued the company to get out of the contract.

A Florida judge blocked a similar Image Data deal there and Colorado's governor wants to do the same.

-- None (none@none.none), February 18, 1999.

Please, help me to understand why we need to curtail domestic terrorism. (domestic=people who live in this country, have a history here in the U.S. who are prone to acts of terrorism). How many acts of domestic terrorism are you aware of? The Oklahoma City bombing was not in that category (a simple net research will connect all the dots for you) and Atlanta, well perhaps it could have been domestic terrorism, only because it hasn't been solved.

I find the idea of the government taking action regarding domestic terrorism offensive and an abuse of authority.

I have my own opinion about terrorism against the United States, and it has changed dramatically in the past couple of years. I wholly do not promote the idea, but with regard to facts, I also can see the abject subjugation being perpetrated upon other countries, etc. by the U.S. and I find it revolting, disgusting and unbelievable that our gov't could do what they do, in concert with a small number of other gov'ts and 'entities' to the world outside theirs. I can site research, however most posters who will comment should already know of what I am speaking about.

If I am off base, please, feel free to contradict my assertions.

-- Orwell Of Course! (orwelliator@biosys.net), February 18, 1999.

Orwell,

you are essentially correct. it is the unfortunate case that most of western civilization has attempted to go down the old roman road of bread and circuses...with the concurrent move from a republic toward a dictatorship...

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), February 19, 1999.