March 12, 2007 4:06PM

The Smart Card Alliance Thinks Privacy Is Bunk

By Jim Harper

A spokesman for the Smart Card Alliance says:

Privacy concerns are all perception and hype and no substance but carry considerable weight with state legislators because no one wants to be accused of being soft on privacy.

That's Randy Vanderhoof, the Smart Card Alliance's executive director, quoted in a Federal Computer Week article on the collapsing REAL ID Act/national ID plan. He was speaking of Congressman Tom Allen's (D-ME) bill to restore the 9/11 Commission-inspired ID provisions of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.

Mr. Vanderhoof and the Smart Card Alliance couldn't appear more dismissive, ignorant, and unserious about issues that are a core problem preventing uptake of its products.

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