Spring Break
ID Dilemma
Amanda SotoIssue date: 12/4/08 Section: News
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That is why Dr. Nazli Hardy, a professor of computer science at Millersville University, is advocating the production of a system of universal IDs.
Under her plan, before getting on to any internet source, whether it is via computer or phone, a person would have to log into it using a specialized ID and password distributed by a government office.
This body would work parallel to a DMV. A person wanting to acquire an ID and password would have to register for one using multiple forms of identification - just like when you get a license, Hardy said. This way your identity is no longer assumed but authenticated.
"Anyone can pretend to be Nazli Hardy now," Hardy said. Through this system that would not be the case, everyone would be held accountable for his or her actions on the web.
"If we have an ID we can be tracked," Hardy said.
Hardy insists we would not be giving up anonymity, because being anonymous doesn't exist. It is just an illusion, she said.
However, for opponents, giving up anonymity could be dangerous. Being anonymous is a First Amendment right, said Rebecca Jeschke, media relations coordinator for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The EFF is a digital civil liberties group that deals with questions of anonymity on the internet and has been involved in litigation for such cases.
Hardy said the people who are using the internet for normal purposes are the ones getting hurt by those who are anonymous. It is the people who represent themselves accurately that are suffering and need to be protected.
"The overall benefit to most people is greater," Hardy said. On the web, people can say anything they want about someone, she added.
Although many feel that the internet is a breeding ground for rumors and gossip, it is the responsibility of the reader to know that what a person says anonymously can be true or false, Jeschke said.
People who are "anonymous" are anonymous because they have the technological smarts to be. For example, many feel that IP addresses are enough to track people, but those who have the means can "spoof" their IPs or make fake ones, Hardy explained.
"IDs will level the playing field for all internet users," Hardy said.
People remain anonymous for various reasons. Some because they are afraid of the retribution for saying or doing something unpopular in the community, but still want to express themselves, Jeschke said.
Big Brother syndrome exists anyway. The government is already tracking individuals without them knowing. With a universal ID, you would be able to see who is tracking you, Hardy said.
The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of anonymity, because they feel it is important to the democratic process, Jeschke said.
The system of using universal IDs would not be without its challenges. "Right now the word needs to get out there that a universal ID could and would be a good idea to discuss, even though the specifics are not outlined completely," Hardy said.
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