Real ID - DHS to Force Increased Security for National IDs

Despite heavy opposition from citizens and state legislatures, the Department of Homeland Security is moving full steam to implement the REAL ID Act.  The Real ID is an effort to “strengthen securitty standards for state-issued driver’s licenses,” however, critics warn that the Real ID could “open the door to privacy invasions by establishing a national database of personal data, accessible to state and federal law enforcement and other entitiies.” In addition, critics warn, would “increase risk of identity theft and fraud.”

The Act was “tacked onto a 2005 emergency spending bill by the House of Republicans, without Senate Debate, and signed by President Bush.” This act will require states to comply by May 2008.  People who do not meet Real ID standards after 2013, “will not be allowed to board planes or enter federal buildings.”