Very good stuff and recommended. Two paragraphs stand out:
He is absolutely right. It already is a scam where a restaurant employee secretly copies a credit card and its mag stripe for illegal purposes. Nothing would stop hotel workers and others from doing the same thing. Remember many of these workers tend to be low paid, transitory without much loyalty, and not much love for their customers. The minute the new cards and readers go into service someone will hack and illegally copy them.
Beyond that, there is a legitimate sharing of information as described. Note that the "Privacy Policy" booklet we all get says the company will share data with its "business partners" which could mean anyone.
(the next paragraph I quote said):
We're not gonna wake up one morning and discover we need "our papers" with us at all times. But we are seeing is requiring "our papers" to do more and more things of everyday life. In Boston, they had ID checks during the convention. Some libraries require a real ID for entry (not merely your library card). Young adults must show ID to guy cigarettes or drink. In the interest of "fraud control" and "terrorist security" or "criminal security" we are being ordered to show real ID in more and more places.
I like to walk and have been occassion stopped by cops on patrol for neighborhood safety. When I walk around my own neighborhood I don't carry my wallet and have no ID at all on me. I wonder what will happen if I'm stopped then.
I have national unlimited phone service. I wonder if despite that, the ESS is keeping a log of every phone call in and out and just storing it someplace. On TV, they imply those logs exist and the cops may get to them.
Can anyone defend this new stuff? Are there real benefits I don't see?