A new era of technology may end all possibilities of making fake identification, especially on state driver’s licenses.
Over the past years, fake identification has risen alarmingly in the United States due to the easy availability of high-performance computers and the Internet. Even at the University of Wisconsin, fake driver’s licenses have been a serious issue.
In the future, possible security measures for driver’s licenses include a thin magnetic strip that is compared to the material used inside a computer’s hard drive.
Contained within the thin magnetic strip is an abundant amount of personal information about the cardholder, from about five megabytes to possibly 20 megabytes of data.
It could store an individual’s unique personal features such as voice patterns, fingerprints, retinal scans or even a laser-engraved photograph, which would make replication extremely difficult.
From 1969 to the present, Wisconsin has had hidden personal data encoded within the identification number and bar code of driver’s license illustrating one’s name, sex and birth date. In other words, it does not present more information about an individual than what is already stated on the license itself.
“It was set up that way to protect the person from another just using an arbitrary number and taking their name and identity,” said Karen Schwartz, Records and Licensing Information chief. “If a person alters a document, they have to alter it in more than one place in order to make it so it is cohesive data in all locations.”
Essentially, a person making a fake Wisconsin driver’s license must know precisely which numbers in the 14-digit identification number to alter, as well as the detailed bar code on the back. Even if the identification number and the bar code are changed, it still may not pass through the evolving technology of the machines depicting the codes.
The special machines scanning the bar code have been set in progress across the country to check if a person’s age stated on their license matches the age told by the scanner.
Through this process, hopes of catching underage people carrying fake identification to purchase either tobacco products or alcohol are dramatically increased.
The existing codes on Wisconsin driver’s licenses are specific to the individual’s personal information, and every number and jagged line has a distinct meaning to be read by the scanners.
“The entire [code] is used because what happens is there are some people that have the same name, sex and date of birth, which we know that is the case, because there is a tie digit at the end that indicates that there are two different people,” Schwartz said.
Although the present Wisconsin driver’s licenses are complex, with visible personal information given through numbers and a bar code, the question of Wisconsin conforming to futuristic driver’s licenses remain.
“I don’t think we should get them, because the cost of production would be much greater and then it would be a lot more work to put all of that information on it. I think this is too much of a hassle for the public,” said Alicia Griffith, a UW sophomore.
Other students at the university believe the option of getting these potential driver’s licenses would be a good idea, especially for the public interest.
The thought of creating the driver’s license of the future does raise probable questions and concerns, such as the cost.
Yet, it may have benefits; for example, false reproduction of identification would be very complicated if not impossible.
“After Sept. 11, security in America changed,” said Mark Dewitz, a UW sophomore. “If we had IDs like the ones that they are talking about, things could have been different. I think we should get some sort of high-tech driver’s license so security in the future is better and events like Sept. 11 can be prevented.”
