REAL ID Puts Personal and National Security At Risk: New at Reason

This month marks a year since a milestone in the adoption of what are effectively internal passports in the United States—a date that went unnoticed by most Americans. Starting last January, only residents of states that signed on to the federal government’s REAL ID scheme were permitted to fly or enter federal buildings using their state ID.

Because every state ultimately surrendered to federal demands and agreed to issue standardized identification (though under a façade of local design and color), the ID cards in your pocket continue to work—at least until the full program kicks in during 2020.

In his latest column, J.D. Tuccille examines the privacy and security problems of the REAL ID program.

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