Identity as a major issue in an information society: the case for a chain approach

Abstract

Two new developments in information technology will have a profound effect on the identity issue in our society: multifunctional smartcards and biometrics. The wide-spread use of chipcards will in the future facilitate electronic identities and identity documents. This places identity fraud in a new light because multi¬functional smart-cards make it possible to provide a false identity or pseudo-identity that is difficult to detect during transactions. The fact that identity fraud often forms part of other (serious and organised) crime makes this situation particularly trying. The new information technology not only poses threats, it also provides new weap-ons in the fight against identity fraud. Recognition of personal biometric character-istics makes security in physical and electronic environments truly person-based and can prevent identity fraud. The current verification techniques used to ascertain a person's identity are not person-related. Passwords and Pincodes can be passed on to others, so that knowledge of the number leads only to the presumption of in-volvement. In an information society, a weak form of ascertaining people's identity such as this, will increasingly fall short when the law requires indisputably estab-lished personal involvement. Consider for example a summons, a penal pro¬vision to a person, a contract, a government order: they are legally invalid or ineffective when the person(s) concerned cannot be established with certainty. In a strategic alliance biometrics and chipcards can be a powerful weapon for card holders and issuers in the fight against identity fraud and other misuse of cards. But we must then regard identity as the product of a chain in which hundreds of orga¬nisations co-operate in preventing identity fraud. This memorandum outlines this identity chain and highlights a number of important shortcomings in the Dutch identity chain as it stands today. To conclude, an outline will be given of an improvement programme.