by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Germany, Summer 2009: According to information moves are afoot for German computer users, and I doubt it will remain German ones only if the EU has any say in that, to having to use their biometric personal identity cards – such ID cards are compulsory in Germany – for logging in at Internet sites, such as Ebay, and others.
No longer will pseudonyms be permitted and neither made up personal information. Instead the ID card's details will be used to create accounts and used for logins. Aside from the simple issues of data security – well, not so simple really – there are issues here of privacy and such.
Big Brother definitely is taking over, as far as I can see, and biometric IDs and token RFID logins on PCs can easily be combined and thus track, basically, our every moves now on the computer; at least as regards to those sites where login is required.
While to begin with it is said that this will be for the online auction and other trade sites as well as for online shopping accounts only, it has already been muted that this system is going to be extended to all social networking sites as well, such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.
Noooo good at all. This is a privacy and ID theft disaster waiting to happen. Help!
Aside, as said, from the fact that this may be an ID nightmare waiting to happen it also means that any kind of anonymity and thereby personal privacy on the Internet will be gone.
Big Brother will then know precisely, through the use of the ID card, as to where you spend your time online and, probably, even what you “say” online, what you buy in an auction or in an e-store; you name it it will rack it.
Now someone tell me again that we are not headed for a total “Big Brother” world, with the powers that be trying to control every individual and his or her actions and lives.
Food for thought! And a call for action, perhaps?
© 2009
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Website login with Biometric Identity Card
