Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

engadget.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 199 posts

Re: Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

#111

Post by fleitz »

rlpb wrote: post #72

We are going to end up with something sooner or later. The fact is that we want (and can) enter into contracts on the Internet. In order to enforce contracts we must have identities. Since the Government (specifically the judiciary) enforces contracts, this means that we must be entering into these contracts under Government-managed identities. Currently we acquire and prove this Government-managed identity using an…

Contract enforcement happened long before gov't mandated ID.

Also, contract enforcement can occur with out ID, look at bringing suit under a John Doe or Richard Roe.

In the real world we have drivers licenses yet fraud still happens.

Re: Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

#112

Post by shooll »

( http://www.findsoso.com / ) (( http://www.findsoso.com / )

We need your support and trust!!! Dear friends, please temporarily stop your footsteps To our website Walk around A look at Maybe you'll find happiness in your sight shopping heaven and earth You'll find our price is more suitable for you. Welcome to our website ( http://www.findsoso.com / ) Thanks to the support!

( http://www.findsoso.com / ) ( http://www.findsoso.com / ) ( http://www.findsoso.com /

Re: Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

#113

Post by pyre »

shotgun wrote: post #97
redial wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about facebook? they are as close as it gets to a centralized database. It's opt-in and tons of sites already support the 'facebook id'.

Didn't the lesser known founder of Facebook take leave and get in bed with the Obama White House?

They're getting Google in on this too. I can't imagine that Google will give no push-back against the idea that FacebookConnect becomes a national Internet ID.

Re: Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

#114

Post by shotgun »

pyre wrote: post #113
shotgun wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Didn't the lesser known founder of Facebook take leave and get in bed with the Obama White House?

They're getting Google in on this too. I can't imagine that Google will give no push-back against the idea that FacebookConnect becomes a national Internet ID.

Good point. Maybe free market forces will help after all...

Edit: Google probably stands the gain more from this initiative than Facebook if it can cleverly integrate it with Google Me.

Re: Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

#115

Post by nlavezzo »

To those who would say "it'll be optional - you won't need one to search Google, check you email, etc." I point out that there are already huge efforts to track people across domains and build profiles of them. Private companies are ALREADY slobbering over this, and paying good money for even anonymized datasets. If this system goes into practice, it will simply be good business for websites to require your ID as part of the signup process. Also, open networks (like attwifi, etc.) may begin to require these as well. They could build nice juicy datasets of the Starbucks laptop crowd, and believe me they'd be hot selling items.

That's probably a best case scenario by the way. How long until it's mandated that your ISP has your internet ID, and public networks (attwifi, etc.) are required to get it to let you out into the internet?

Re: Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

#116

Post by shortlived »

mark_l_watson wrote: post #80
jrockway wrote: post #55

I'll be getting one of these when hell freezes over. If that means starting my own Internet, then that's exactly what I'll do.

I would like to see more local (at the town level) shared networks. Something like cheap wi-fi base stations (really cheap!) that could link up a local area and have a good directory of what material people host to be shared, local bulletin boards, etc. I live in a rural area and several of my friends are going the self sufficient route and my wife and I are at least putting in enough solar panels to generate about 3…

I lived in a small city in the Urals in Russia for a summer and they had exactly that... They had a bulletin/message board and I'm sure some why to share files. I didn't really explore it more so I'd love to hear someone else's experience.

Re: Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

#117

Post by pyre »

yoyar wrote: post #32
Alex3917 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Remind me again of why we 'need' a solution such as this?" There are lots of services that people want that are impossible to build without a way to prove that someone is who they say they are. E.g. better reputation systems. "we all KNOW it will be abused." Obviously. That doesn't mean there isn't a need though.

Reputation for purchasers and sellers is a solved problem. Eg, ebay.

Right. Because eBay and Paypal have completely eradicated fraud and the gaming of the system. In addition, there are no false-positives in this scheme and people are not thrown under the bus just because they aren't 'internet famous' enough to get their situation resolved...

I'm not agreeing that we need a government system, but don't point to eBay as the solution to fraud.

Re: Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

#118

Post by Strilanc »

rlpb wrote: post #72

We are going to end up with something sooner or later. The fact is that we want (and can) enter into contracts on the Internet. In order to enforce contracts we must have identities. Since the Government (specifically the judiciary) enforces contracts, this means that we must be entering into these contracts under Government-managed identities. Currently we acquire and prove this Government-managed identity using an…

I think it will eventually be necessary even for informal interactions. It will be the only way to reliably distinguish people from spam bots.

Re: Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

#119

Post by forensic »

prodigal_erik wrote: post #86
forensic wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Constitution is meaningless these days. "Unconstitutional" is defined by the emotional whims and ideologies of judges.

The commerce clause in particular has been used to justify most anything, including laws around production of your own goods because that can function as an alternative to interstate commerce. But strict constructionism isn't an answer either. We shouldn't only have a right to bear 18th century arms, or let computer files be searched without a warrant merely because they aren't on paper. It's always going to be subje…

That's why Jesus invented amendments to the constitution.

Re: Obama administration moves forward with unique Internet ID for all Americans

#120

Post by brown9-2 »

motters wrote: post #52

If it waddles like a national ID system and quacks like a national ID system, then it's probably a national ID system. Here in the UK we are fortunate to have recently dumped plans for a national ID system. Americans should do the same.

What is the argument against a national ID system? Can someone enlighten me?
Post reply on HN