IPS sticks to fingerprint plan

Denies print register drop report

By Kablenet, 29th January 2008

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The Identity and Passport Service has denied that fingerprints could be dropped from the National Identity Register.

It has dismissed a report in The Observer, based on a leaked document, that claimed plans to assess the costs for different groups of people point to the plan for a fingerprint register being dropped.

"It's a nonsense to suggest we are going to drop fingerprints," an IPS spokesperson told GC News. "International travel documents have fingerprints and we are going to move in that direction. It's very obviously the direction for travel documents around the world."

He said the IPS would not comment on the contents of the leaked document, but that the IPS was still committed to using fingerprints as part of the National Identity Scheme.

"By linking fingerprints to a secure database with strict rules outlining its use, the National Identity Scheme will allow individuals, business, and the state to prove identity more securely, conveniently and efficiently while protecting personal information from abuse," he said.

"This builds on what we are doing anyway putting fingerprints in passports and immigration documents in line with international moves to strengthen document security. The ID card will need to meet international standards for travel documents as it will act as a passport for travel within the EU."

The spokesperson said more detailed plans would be announced when discussions internally and with suppliers are complete.

He also described as "entirely wrong" reports of plans to prevent young people who do not have an identity card from obtaining a student loan in the future.

This article was originally published at Kablenet.

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Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 20:37 GMT

3x2

@ Business??? Individuals?

"Wait, so your going to open the ID database to private businesses"

I'm sure some minister (probably now re-assigned to the Falklands) called it "tiered access". The DVLC is already doing it so why not expand the scheme and enhance all our lives and not just those lucky drivers.

Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 15:00 GMT

Anonymous Coward

function creep

the ePass with biometric photo (64kb jpeg)was designed to ICAO standards for international travel, and the <flash> <bold> <lime green> COMING IN 2009 ePass </flash etc> with photo + 10 fingerprints (another 25kb of data approx) is being designed with extended access control crypto, to ICAO standards.

the UK national ID card, is being designed to which standards? dunno, but as many EU and EFTA countries' ID cards allow cross border travel then its quite likely that the UK's ID could allow travel. IPS's always been a bit fuzzy exactly what it might do.

the main function creep is that the ePass ICAO standards are ISO14443 A&B, but now the similar Sony FeliCa, Philips etc NFC (near field communications = RFID in old speak) interests group who include RFID credit-cards are proposing to merge NFC and ISO14443 such that anywhere with a credit card reader would be also able to process *some* data from an ePass or eID, (maybe not the whole stack) to be defined....

micropay for your next tankfull of petrol/gas with an NFC CC and verify this transaction with an NFC ePass or eID. seems logical.

"Where is your eID, Citizen?" asked the CCTV as you wandered by....

Posted Tuesday 29th January 2008 14:56 GMT

Anonymous Coward