Commercial databases are no better. A check of one man's ChoicePoint record disclosed that the intelligence-collecting firm listed him variously as being a female prostitute in Florida, a prison inmate in Texas, a dealer of stolen goods in New Mexico, a witness tamperer in Oregon, and a sex offender in Nevada.The problem isn't that people don't know anything, it's that they know so much that isn't true.
He was none of those, Rotenberg said, but federal and state law enforcement agencies routinely use error-plagued databases that ChoicePoint and other data brokers compile.
Biometric identity management systems are a way to make this problem better, not worse. Part of the solution is technical (better ID management) and part of the solution is legal. We have systems in place that allow people to access and correct their credit reports for free. There ought to be a mechanism for citizens to access and correct information that data brokers sell, along with legal recourse for those who suffered damages because someone sold inaccurate information.
However, after identifying a serious issue, I think the linked article's author completely loses the plot.
Rotenberg hopes to convince the Supreme Court to overturn the conviction of Jose Tolentino, who was stopped by police at 7:40 p.m. on New Year's Day 2005 for playing music too loudly as he drove down a street in New York City.This guy was busted with accurate information and plead guilty. The system worked. Making law enforcement more efficient through better database integration and identity management techniques is a good thing.
A police computer check of motor vehicle records disclosed that Tolentino's driver's license had been suspended at least 10 times, and was suspended at the time he was stopped, so he was arrested.
Though the article misses the most important privacy point it raises, it is important to recognize the fact that garbage-in-garbage-out in the data-selling industry can disrupt the lives of innocent people. A remedial process should be provided for them.
