[Infowarrior] - NASA scientists: REAL ID plan threatens privacy

[Richard Forno]

NASA scientists: ID plan threatens privacy
http://www.upi.com/Security_Terrorism/Briefing/2007/05/04/nasa_scientists_id
_plan_threatens_privacy/

Published: May 4, 2007 at 1:55 PM

WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) -- NASA scientists joined a growing list of groups
opposed to a Bush administration plan to standardize federally issued IDs.

Four National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists from the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory sent a letter to Congress asking for a bipartisan
effort to oppose the plans currently pursued by the Department of Homeland
Security.

Following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, the Bush
administration passed a number of directives to standardize federally issued
identification. The scientists are just one group that has voiced concerns
about the standardization procedures.

The NASA Jet Propulsion Lab scientists highlighted Homeland Security
Presidential Directive No. 12, which calls for a mandatory, government-wide
standard for identification used to gain access to secure government
facilities. The directive is intended to eliminate variations that could
make a facility vulnerable to terrorism.

The NASA employees found that although the ID standardization appears to
have a "fairly innocuous tone," the procedure for collecting information
about government employees infringes on civil liberties.

Based on their experiences with implementing the new directive, the
scientists wrote that they were asked to submit personal information that
included fingerprints, racial, ethnic, financial and medical information.
They were also concerned that the information was submitted to FBI databases
that contains personal information relevant to criminal investigations.

However, their primary concern was that these strict procedures may have
repercussions on NASA recruiting efforts.

"Many highly talented individuals ... attach great value to their personal
liberties. ...

"In the face of such intrusions talented researchers are inclined to take
positions elsewhere, where the employers have a modicum of respect for the
Constitution," they wrote.

The American Civil Liberties Union has also expressed strong opposition to
the concept of federal ID standardization. Among its numerous criticisms,
the ACLU finds that a national database comprising personal information
about all Americans would violate the right to privacy.