Papers Please! - State Dept. proposes “Biographical Questionnaire” for passport applicants

@ehasbrouck ; State Dept. proposes bizarre, intrusive, irrelevant "Biographical Questionnaire" for passport applicants: http://bit.ly/i6zlLp #papersplease

BTC - Public Comment from stakeholders and NGOs can be taken here.

Real ID Action Alert- Can it be Stopped in NC?

REDUX Intnl: UAE ID cards valid for 5 yr lifespan of chip

ABU DHABI - The Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) has fixed a five-year validity period for Emirati national ID cards because of the five-year life span of the electronic chip in the card, the authority explained yesterday in a statement.

BTC - It looks like the US's ID card contract loss is UAE's gain to incorporate technologies in national ID cards. The Saudis put in a purchase order ID cards from US companies.  Regardless of US foreign relations standards in the middle east, you would hope a little bit more of that Egyptian style of populist push back would infect the UAE.

The escalated potential of being singled out as an undesirable by the State is the fate of any resident who adopts the national ID card. Disenfranchised groups are usually the first to opt-out of such a system.

For example:

"Bedouins also complain that the government has marginalised them from modern Egyptian society. Today, many do not hold national ID cards and are more loyal to their tribal chiefs than the state."   c/o Al Jazeerah

Here is second life for International news that matters:

INDIA: UIDAI identity authorities manipulated pilot test results to necessitate national ID contracts

UK: London council makes world’s first citizen data transfer

US: United States reneges on SWIFT financial data privacy agreement

"Jesus sees what you do, Colonel Chicken" - Waking Up Orwell

"Disgrace and doublespeak" on Guanatanamo, Manning

#3 @Project Censored "Internet Privacy and Personal Access at Risk"