Smart Cards and Biometrics: Is a Nightmare-Free Australia Card Feasible?

Roger Clarke **

Abstract of 22 March 2006

Invited Presentation to the A.C.T. Society of Technology and the Law, Canberra, 23 March 2006

© Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd, 2006

This document is at http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/DV/ID-ACTSTL-0603.html

The accompanying slide-set is at http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/DV/ID-ACTSTL-0603.ppt

Abstract

The term 'Australia Card' is embedded in the national psyche as a byword for the ultimate in privacy-invasiveness by the State. But technology has moved on since the mid-1980s. Is it possible to conceive of a national identification scheme that uses such things as smartcards and biometrics in ways that limit the power of the State and corporations, and avoid the nightmare.

This presentation:

• provides an outline of identification schemes generally, and a summary of the elements involved in a 'national identification scheme';
• considers 'smartcards' and related technologies, and how they could be used to achieve privacy protections within a national identification scheme;
• explains biometrics, identifies some of the quite gross mythologies about what biometric technologies can do, and shows how it could have a role to play in protecting privacy, but probably won't; and
• outlines the politics of Australia Card Mark II.

In short:

1. there are indeed ways in which Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) can be devised to as to provide antidotes to various aspects of Privacy Invasive Technologies (the PITs); but
2. a nightmare-free Australia Card is not feasible, because assertions of benefits are illusory, and often downright fraudulent; the features that could ameliorate the impacts on privacy are grossly inadequate; and such schemes can never be proof against despots

References

This presentation draws on over 20 years' research, consultancy and advocacy experience in relation to these topics. Papers directly relevant to this topic are indexed here.

The following are of specific relevance:

• human identification in information systems
• (id)entity, (id)entification and (id)entifiers
• authentication, including (id)entity authentication
• identification-related technologies such as smartcards, digital signatures/PKI and biometrics
• identity management architectures, techniques and tools
• national identification scheme initiatives generally, including here and here
• particular instances of national identification scheme initiatives:
  • the Australia Card initiative - 1985-87
  • the ultra-extensible Australian Tax File Number scheme - 1988-1992
  • the new Hong Kong SAR ID Card - 1999-
  • the UK ID Card initiative - 2004-
  • the Australia Card Mark II initiative - 2005-
• a recent invited presentation on national id schemes, at a Canadian conference

My lengthy list of publications in related areas is indexed here.

Author Affiliations

Roger Clarke is Principal of Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd, Canberra. He is also a Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre at the University of N.S.W., a Visiting Professor in the E-Commerce Programme at the University of Hong Kong, and a Visiting Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Australian National University.

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Created: 22 March 2006 - Last Amended: 22 March 2006 by Roger Clarke - Site Last Verified: 15 February 2005
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