In the next step to control you and suppress free speech (think 2012 presidential election), the Obama Administration plans to implement an Internet ID program. A government run “trusted identity” program will invade your privacy with all of the inefficiencies and abuse you get from the DMV when applying for a driver’s license.
Known as the “National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace,” this “trusted identity” cybersecurity program will allegedly be run by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Don’t believe it for a minute. This will be a Department of Homeland Security project from Day 1 with Commerce providing the fig leaf of pretending the Internet IDs are only to protect ecommerce.
But taking the government at its word, with $14 trillion in national debt, Big Brother is broke. If only for business purposes, there are higher priorities (cut corporate tax rates, slash burdensome regulations, etc.) that make the ID program unimportant by comparison.
In addition, 99% of the things government attempts to do in the free market ends up screwing over those who are supposed to be benefitted by it. It’s really about power and not about helping anyone except the politicians involved.
When it makes economic sense for a “trusted identity” program to come into place, the private sector will create it. Chances are there will be several players (Microsoft, Google, etc.) with alternative solutions that will compete in the marketplace for clients to voluntarily use.
Make it clear to your Congress critters that a government-run cyber security ID program is a horrible idea that should be specifically defunded if the Obama Administration attempts to unilaterally implement it using an Internet Czar, Cyber Sherpa, or some other unelected bureaucrat granted unconstitutional powers. If you want an Internet ID, you should have the ability to choose one instead of having the government force one on you.
