SCI/TECH: Bill Gates wishes to integrate Belgian eID into MS Software

Over the last few years Belgium has been developing a credit card like Identity Cards system, named the eID. In 2005, the swap between the classic plastified paper cards and the electronic version of the ID has started, the new ID is designed to hold information ranging from your Identity, to things like your bloodgroup, alergies, donor card and drivers lisence.



The article referenced is only a short one about this, the long article about it wasn't published online by this paper.

Bill Gates said he wishes to use this kind of eID to keep the wrong age of people, out of childrens chatrooms, to help parents define what agegroup of people their children would be allowed to talk to or even let parents define who exactly their children can talk to. For instance, alowing just the childrens classmates and kids they already know.

This can also be used as a saveguard to keep registered pedofiles out of all sorts of chatrooms and keep them from contacting children online.

Most people that know me will also know I'm totaly against this kind of goverment involvement in internet security, but if used correctly, this implementation into MS software could be a good thing. As long as grownups aren't bothered by it.

Eventhough belgium is the country where Bill Gates got a cream cake smacked into his face 2ce, for some reason he still loves belgium and the projects that are developed here.

In cooperation with Bill and Microsoft, Belgium has built 2 "Living Tomorrow - House of the Future" projects in Belgium, 1 in amsterdam and currently one planned in the UK next to the Millenium Dome.


[edit on 6-4-2005 by thematrix]

The justifications cited for using this technology constitute the classic problem-reaction-solution routine.

"He who gives up liberty for temporary security..."

More and more websites require you to register to view articles or to utilize the functions of the site. Currently, maintaining your privacy is simple, evidenced by the fact that the New York Times website knows me as 70 year old Mabel Simpson from Albania.

However, if you have to swipe a card in order to access websites, you cannot do so anonymously and your entire surfing habits can be recorded, including what news articles you are interested in, what products you purchase, what research you are conducting, what you type in a forum, and so on. The cards are coded with your personal details, including your address. Consider this: To many people, the Internet is their source of recreation, education and purchasing. Hence, this kind of tracking of personal Internet use is akin to having a camera in your home that records what books you read, what TV programs you watch, and what you bought at the store.

A few sensationalised incidents of paedophiles preying on youth chat-rooms could well see websites forced, by law, to install such user identification methods. Would you post so freely if you had to declare your identity and address on ATS?

i can smell it, NWO is coming...

Anyone think about what the government could do if they used or are using this technology? You stumble across a site that is deemed from an opposition group and you are swept away in the middle of the night with not trial for two years. Think this is just stretch look at the arrests credited to the Patriot Act.

For all the people voting NO: Source reliability questioned, Het Belang van Limburg is the 3de largest newspaper in belgium.

If your bitching about the article being in Dutch, get internet savy and use a site translator to see it in english.
If I had a scanner I'd scan in the full article that was printed last week in the paper version of the paper.

Yes, this is approaching the problem from the wrong angle. Children have little to no business chatting in a completely anonymous forum where there is the opportunity for sexually offensive language, material, and behaviour to permeate the environment.

We should keep the children out of the chatrooms, not require the 99.9999% of non-pedofiles that use the Internet to record and track their every habit and entire history of their life on the planet.

As for the hackers, well, Microsoft, nice try at a shortcut to a solution, but you had better focus on the real issue - holes in your software.

I had thought Bill Gates was a supporter of electronic privacy. I guess he reversed that position.

Zip

What about parenting? that's the best internet control. Also on the issue of microsoft software, yes microsoft has holes but it is easy to have people find your flaws when you are always in the spotlight. No one really cares about Sun, Unix or other software unless you are a very experienced hacker. Windows is for N0081Zanyways