Concerns have been raised about the Hong Kong government’s plans to replace all ID cards with more sophisticated versions, with critics claiming the technology will allow the authorities to keep closer tabs on residents.
A policy paper submitted to LegCo this week outlined a government scheme to replace all identity cards between 2018 and 2020.
The revamped offerings will feature more biometric data storage, updated fingerprint templates and a higher resolution photograph.
According to the Passion Times, a media outlet closely affiliated with pro-democracy party Civic Passion, the new cards will also boast radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, which could potentially allow access to data on the card from up to a 12 metre radius using a scanner.
This would negate the need for the police to force people to hand over their ID cards – as they have done several times recently with cornered political activists – and would allow for the closer monitoring of those deemed to be a security threat.
According to unwire.hk, however, there is already a number of RFID-proof wallets and cases on the market, so the government might want to consider microchips under the skin instead.
Photo: Ben Cheung via Flickr
