REAL ID pitfalls

The controversial REAL ID Act, which sets new, nationwide standards for driver's licenses, is a done deal ... maybe. As the Associated Press and UPI report, the states are balking at the new requirements and may even challenge the law in court.

Here are some of the more interesting analyses I've seen on the law's impact and pitfalls:

News.com's Declan McCullough wrote a practical FAQ that explains just how the law will affect people: "Starting three years from now, if you live or work in the United States, you'll need a federally approved ID card to travel on an airplane, open a bank account, collect Social Security payments, or take advantage of nearly any government service."

Meanwhile, security expert Bruce Schneier lists the many reasons why the REAL ID Act is a bad idea, starting with the observation that it creates a de facto national ID card. It also gives the states yet another unfunded mandate; creates "a major unnecessary security risk" by requiring street addresses for everyone, even those working in criminal justice; and makes the roads less safe by denying licenses to illegal aliens.

Another of his points, that REAL ID would simplify identity theft, is expanded on in an eWeek that explored the heightened risks that arise from creating "in effect, one nationwide database with personal information pertaining to all citizens."

Dipping deeper, ArsTechnica points out that an obscure clause in the act imperils the whole system of checks and balances on which our government is based.