High crimes and misdemeanors -- from terrorist plots to underage drinking -- often start with perpetrators scrounging fake identification cards. So when Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry became the first citizen in his state to receive a digital driver's license last summer, he was ushering in a new, more frustrating era for criminals.
Oklahoma's new IDs use state-of-the-art security measures to curtail fraud and
identity theft. Previously, Oklahoma was one of only four states in the nation
still relying on traditional film-based driver's license photos. The old system
wasn't computerized, so officials in charge of issuing licenses had a hard
time verifying that a person applying for a license didn't already have another
one under another name. And it wasn't terribly difficult for forgers to make
their own IDs.
But Oklahoma's new system is designed to raise the bar out of forgers' and scam artists' reach. The licenses use digital photos, along with technologies such as electronic finger scans, which are more complete and accurate than common ink-on-skin fingerprints. All of that information is stored in a database that officials can search to confirm one person doesn't have multiple identities. And the technology involved is too sophisticated for people to knock off easily.
Such digital identification systems are an important advance -- and technology exists today that could further reduce crimes associated with identity theft. For example, the Progressive Policy Institute has recommended that states move toward a new generation of "smart" ID cards. Already in use for some military personnel, smart cards have built-in computer chips that are extremely hard for criminals to hack and are capable of storing large amounts of information. A single card could replace the stacks of plastic people now carry in their wallets, from identification to ATM and credit cards.
Because credit fraud is often the main aim of identity thieves, a secure system that tightly links people's credit accounts to their true identities can only be a bad thing for criminals.
