The world's first national smart card scheme to store biometric data on an in-built computer chip has been introduced in Malaysia. The cards are compulsory for Malaysia's citizens and are encoded with a copy of the owner's fingerprints.
Pressure is growing in other countries for improved identification schemes, especially since the recent terrorist atrocities in the US.
"A lot of governments including the US will be looking at better identification systems to monitor the movement of people within their countries after the terror attacks," said Wan Mohamad Ariffin, smart card project director at Malaysia's National Registration Department. "We are willing to share our technology. It could be part of the solution to the security issue."
Although the strongest opposition to such schemes will probably come from civil liberties groups, technical experts also say that such measures will not thwart criminals or determined terror groups.
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Pressure is growing in other countries for improved identification schemes, especially since the recent terrorist atrocities in the US.
"A lot of governments including the US will be looking at better identification systems to monitor the movement of people within their countries after the terror attacks," said Wan Mohamad Ariffin, smart card project director at Malaysia's National Registration Department. "We are willing to share our technology. It could be part of the solution to the security issue."
Although the strongest opposition to such schemes will probably come from civil liberties groups, technical experts also say that such measures will not thwart criminals or determined terror groups.
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