FORCED BIOMETRIC TAGGING

by Michael W. Beasley - Libertarian and Engineer

The contents of this, my first public web page, represent my own personal opinions and fears, and so are not the official position of any political party, church, or other group ... just one man's opinion.

My goal is to convey as well as I am able, in a few words and illustrations, just why I fear and oppose the existing plan to force every human being in Alabama to submit to fingerscanning. (fingerprinting by digital imaging)

Please understand that this issue is not limited in scope to Alabama, but ultimately concerns the people of every state in the U.S., and indeed, every country on earth. How this issue is resolved, both here and elsewhere, will eventually effect the lives of literally billions of people. And from my own perspective, it looks as if the first dominoes have already fallen.

Basic Information

There exist certain physical characteristics of the human body that are known to be unique. There are several - including: hand geometry, eye structure, fingerprints, voice patterns, etc. These are the biometric identifiers.

Certainly the best known of all these is the ordinary human fingerprint - used as evidence in court for decades now - generally in a manner that promoted justice and so benefited us all.

Computers

Computers are very good at compressing information. They can easily be programmed to calculate a moderately short string of bytes that is a kind of summary of a much larger file, such as an image file. Even a very tiny change in the original image file results in a quite different summary string. Recently it has become technically feasible to take an image of a human finger - to scan it - and produce a summary string - a big number (about 300 bytes) - using very low cost equipment. Successive scans reliably produce the same number. Different fingers reliably produce different numbers. Its quite reliable, fast, and cheap. Small physical size means portable battery powered units are quite practical.

Let's summarize all this: Take a careful look at your own thumb. Your thumbprint maps into a number - your thumb is a number. It is as if you were given a secret serial number at birth - until now an invisible one - and you can be very confident that no one else on earth has that same number.

OK, so what is the value of your number? - I don't know.

What is the value of my own number? - I don't know that either.

These are VERY PRIVATE numbers - for most of us - at this moment in human history - July 1997

Decision Time

Each of us here in Alabama must decide what to do - right now, in the next few days..
Why now? - ( Gee, I'd really like some time to think about this issue. )
Because others in Alabama State Government ( due to Federal Government pressure ) have already decided for you - they have decided to force you to reveal the most private information you now own for their massive databases.
Actually, you must make two decisions - the first one before July 8th - the second later, perhaps years later.
Now - an easy choice

Assuming you are reading this before July 8th You have exactly two choices:
Do Something - OR - Do Nothing.
If you choose to to "Do Something" - the most constructive thing to do is to contact your elected officials. Make certain they know what you think about this issue. Write, Call, Fax, E-mail. Governor Fob James, Your State Senator, Your State Representative.
Tell them all politely, but firmly :
Abandon this "Outrageous and Unconstitutional Attack on People's Privacy".

- AND -
There's no good reason to treat the entire population of Alabama as if they're all criminal suspects!

Tell anyone and everyone you think might care about this - FAST.
If you choose to to "Do Nothing" - You may unwittingly directly contribute to initializing what may well become the greatest disaster to ever hit America ... and it will quickly become global. Almost every country on earth will follow our lead.
Later - a difficult choice

If we stop this thing - really nail it down hard - the second decision may never be required of you. - ( although eternal vigilance will. )
If not, you must decide
You will allow yourself to be fingerscanned
- OR -
You will practice some form of "Civil Disobedience".
The first choice is "Absolutely Irrevocable". - Like a bullet fired in anger - it can never be recalled.
Of course, your own children will do this at age 15, and then your grandchildren ... You now choose for them and all who follow them.
"Civil Disobedience" may well land you in jail, where you will certainly be... fingerscanned.

Some Choice, No?

So Everyone Gets Scanned - So What?

In my experience, the huge majority of the people (here in Alabama as elsewhere) are basically decent, and have a general attitude of live and let live. They think this High-Tech ID is a great idea for "catching the bad guys and stopping fraud" . Most Law Enforcement Officers think this will make their job easier. They are right to some extent - it will.

It is also true that a our police have a more difficult job here than their counterparts in Russia, Germany, or Japan, not to mention Cuba, or North Korea. Would you not have it so? - Legitimate law enforcement is a necessary function, but citizen surveillance is not.

FACT : Law enforcement is obviously made more difficult by the Bill Of Rights.

Are you really ready to let go of that old Dinosaur?

I hope not ... and yet you may give that up and more ... a great deal more.

What we're being forced to give up is : ALL PRIVACY.

"All?, you say ... Bull! - only a little , and I have absolutely nothing to hide ." You say.

I'm sorry but the answer - eventually - is ALL.

Let's take a closer look at this technology - where it will likely go - and why.

The Technology

Now is probably I good time to point out that I'm not a later day Luddite. I've degrees in both Physics and Electrical Engineering, and have worked continuously with computer hardware and software since 1969. I've made a fair living and fed myself and family with technology. Let me put it this way : I believe Computer Technology is, in itself, neither Good nor Evil. Rather, it shares this attribute with other inanimate objects ( like Nuclear Power, Firearms, an Ax, a Screwdriver ). How these things are used determines the desirability of the end result.

NETWORKS

Your friendly local ATM machine is linked to a network. Scanners will be also.

Network size limits? - IPv6 yields over 16 trillion uniquely addressable IP elements per square micron of the earth's surface.

REAL-TIME NETWORKS

Need High Fiber network content and low latency - in progress - T3 is now slow.

WIRELESS REAL-TIME NETWORKS

Even my dog has a Cell Phone (although I don't). - local IR and RF lanes seem clear ahead, direct satellite links, GPS, - lots of bandwidth.

ENCRYPTED WIRELESS REAL-TIME NETWORKS

Heard of PGP? ... DES? - the additional cost to encrypt any link is now almost zero. Even old DES is still semi-secure - first successful brute force attack only a few days ago. Newer schemes are much stronger.

Your friendly local ATM machine already uses encryption.

UNIVERSAL ENCRYPTED WIRELESS REAL-TIME NETWORKS

Just a matter of cost - scanners now expected to reach $30 to $50 each [ "WIRED" magazine, July 1997 issue, page 135 ] - then - exponential growth - EVERYWHERE and linked into ...

MASSIVE FEEDS INTO DISTRIBUTED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Scanning for "suspicious" behavior - FinCEN AI Research already in progress - current targets : money laundering and tax evasion - future targets : to be determined

ORDINARY CASH MONEY AND PRIVACY

Why do you need it? - Got something to hide?

Why do you NOT need it? - Transaction Costs and the IRS.

Too Bad - Poof! - its gone. - The End of Ordinary Money.

AI Technology will be employed to fight "crime".

All "undesired" behavior will eventually be defined as "crime". - an example : Driving around with an unfastened seatbelt once equaled "stupid", now equals a "crime".

YOU WILL BE SAFE AT LAST - AND ENSLAVED

Be "Good" - OR - Be Punished! ( double click - you're toast )

Big Brother clears your Master Enable Bit.

Turning yourself in and begging to be Enabled.

THE NEW CRIMINALS, - THE NEW DROPOUTS

Being "Bad" - OR - Learning to Love Wild Berries

Perhaps Not

No person sees the future perfectly, but no rational person drives over a cliff, and no moral person would fail to make a vigorous attempt to warn another of a perceived DANGER to their LIFE or to their LIBERTY.

Lord Acton was right about POWER - must we ignore him?

I would not have written this at all, if I believed there was as much as one chance in ten that the FORCED BIOMETRIC TAGGING of human beings could ultimately lead to any destiny except UNENDING SLAVERY and HOPELESS DISPAIR for countless innocent people. This is my worst fear.

Yet, I could be totally wrong, of course ... Do you wish to bet?

BET YOUR FREEDOM, and YOUR CHILDREN'S.

Betting that I'm wrong is really very easy : just DO NOTHING and SAY NOTHING,

GIVE THEM YOUR THUMB, and GIVE THEM YOUR TRUST and then WAIT.

Suggest you stay away from The Bible and history books and watch lots of TV.

Otherwise ...

If you think there is even a MICROSCOPIC CHANCE that I might be correct about this matter, FIGHT THIS NOW! while you still can. - It will only be more difficult to fight later.

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AN UPDATE: VICTORY ... FOR NOW

from The Huntsville Times - July 8, 1997

STATE ABANDONS DRIVER LICENSE, FINGERPRINT PLAN

The Associated Press

Montgomery - The Alabama Department of Public Safety said Monday it is no longer considering requiring finger scanning as part of the state's new driver license issuance system.

Public Safety Director Col. L.N. Hagan said Monday the department will withdraw its proposed rule requiring finger scanning and has already ceased offering the feature to applicants on a voluntary basis at test sites in Huntsville, Birmingham, and Prattville.

"It is clear that this driver licensing feature has failed to gain the support of Alabamians, whom the system is designed to serve," Hagan said.

The fingerprint proposal, unveiled about a month ago, almost immediately drew sharp attacks from groups as varied as the Libertarian Party, the conservative Eagle Forum, and the Christian Coalition. They called it a step toward a national identification system and an infringement on liberty.

Thanks to all those thousands of people who called, wrote, and faxed - and thanks to a decent man in Montgomery, Governor Fob James, who did the right thing - we stopped this thing - for now at least.
Those at the U.S. Federal level who are the real driving force behind forced biometric tagging will continue their efforts to implement this scheme in other states ... and they'll try again here later.
Ladies and Gentlemen, our armor must be ...