Americans Support Biometrics for Government IDs

While only about half of people queried for a survey said they supported introducing a new form of government identification, three-quarters said they believed using biometrics on current government IDs would be useful.

The survey of 1,000 Americans was done by TNS and TRUSTe. It found that people have some concerns about the new ID cards, which became reality in June when Congress approved the REAL ID Act. By 2008, the new cards, which have to meet federal ID standards determined by the Department of Homeland Security, will replace current drivers' licenses.

Of the people surveyed by TNS and TRUSTe, 79 percent said they supported including biometrics on passports, 75 percent supported their use on Social Security cards and 74 percent supported them for drivers' licenses. About 81 percent chose fingerprinting as the most acceptable form.Surprisingly, while less people supported use of biometrics for private types of cards as opposed to government cards, two-thirds of respondents said biometrics should be used for credit cards and debit cards.

Copyright © 2005 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 15, No. 10, 10/05