The
REAL ID
The enforcement deadline will come into play within a week, following numerous postponements over the years.
On May 7, adults will require a compliant driver’s license or ID to boarding a domestic commercial flight and access specific other facilities; however, passengers may still have the option to use alternative forms of identification.
accepted alternatives
like a passport.
The roughly
20-year path to implementation
Stemming from the 2005 REAL ID Act implementation has faced numerous challenges, often encountering opposition from states responsible for providing the necessary documents. Despite the legislation’s passage, over a dozen states resisted REAL ID, citing significant administrative expenses and potential invasions of privacy as major issues. Similar worries were voiced by various advocacy organizations.
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Here’s what to know:
What privacy issues surround REAL ID?
Alexis Hancock, who leads engineering efforts at the nonprofit organization Electronic Frontier Foundation, stated that the initiative “promotes policies that eliminate privacy for all individuals and exacerbate the marginalization of undocumented persons.”
“While compliant IDs under the Real ID Act will soon be mandatory for passing through TSA checkpoints, there’s no reason why this requirement couldn’t and shouldn’t extend to other ‘official purposes’ involving federal agencies down the line,” she stated via email to USA TODAY.
Since identifying details are presently managed at the state level, Hancock noted that the standardized guidelines of this program might simplify the process of sharing confidential data across state borders—such as when state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices have allegedly done so.
sold data
to
third parties
.
The American Civil Liberties Union has also stated that the implementation of this law could lead to increased surveillance and tracking of personal information for citizens. “Real ID would essentially transform driver’s licenses into national identification cards, which would severely undermine privacy,” the group noted.
website reads
.
Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union, informed USA TODAY of ongoing privacy concerns regarding “the establishment of uniform identification systems.”
“Partially due to the fact that it has not fully taken effect and owing to how gradually it was implemented, several concerns we had haven’t materialized yet,” he stated during an interview. Additionally, he highlighted that “the real struggle” currently revolves around digital identification systems and related issues.
associated risks
.
A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration informed USA TODAY that REAL ID represents “a nationwide set of baseline requirements” instead of being a national identification card. They also stated that it doesn’t establish a centralized federal database containing information from driver’s licenses.
Every state authority keeps issuing distinct licenses, managing their own databases and deciding who can view these records along with the conditions for such access,” stated the representative via email. “REAL ID aims to ensure that identification documents provided by states become more uniform and secure when used officially by federal entities.
Nathan Diller serves as a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY and is stationed in Nashville. For inquiries, you may contact him at ndiller@.
The article initially appeared on USA TODAY:
From driver’s licenses to digital dossiers? Why some people have concerns about REAL ID.
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