Bill visites belgium today, just saw him on the news.
Microsoft is interested in writing applications for the new belgian Electronic passport. Now why am I feeling slightly worried? Some good news is that the belgian government has not signed any kind of contract with microsoft, thus allowing people to do some developing on their own.
possible applications would be identification/authentification on msn, email etc. does raise some real privacy issues, imho
toolkit (for win/linux/mac/java) and info is available at eid.belgium.be
bonarez
cvh
Feb 2 2005, 08:50 AM
I am going to throw away my passport if billy start writing applications for it, we already have 2 electronic cards in Belgium one with our medical records and also one with our identity.
I don't like it if billy has his hands on my private info.
No spyware on my passport.
relax
Feb 2 2005, 10:57 AM
there is some more info over at http://mess.be geared towards msn messenger.
QUOTE
elgian electronic ID to be integrated into MSN Messenger <b>HUGE</b>: Belgian electronic ID to be integrated into MSN Messenger dwergs says:
Bill Gates is visiting Belgium and he's putting our little country on the world map as a pioneer in online identification. Together with State Secretary of E-Government, Peter Vanvelthoven, he announced that the Belgian electronic identity card (eID) will be integrated into MSN Messenger and possibly even more Windows technologies.
The eID is gradually replacing traditional identity cards and by December 31st of 2009, all citizens older than 12 who reside on the Belgian territory (about 8 million) should own the obligatory chip-equipped card. Just like the classical ID, the eID contains your photo, surname and first names, sex, nationality, place and date of birth, signature, national number as well as the validity period of the card. But all this information (including the photo) will also be electronically stored.
eid card reader allows you to sign into msn messengerWe are still trying to gather details on this, but we assume that by inserting your eID in card readers at home, at school, in Internet cafés, etc. you will be able to authenticate and log into MSN Messenger without needing a password and in a much more secure way (I just hope it won't automatically show the hideous photo on my ID as my MSN Display Picture).
Belgian eID to be integrated into MSN Messenger, photo by afp, belgaAt first I thought April Fools was two months early and ok, it's not MSN Messenger 7 FINAL as requested in the post below, but this sure is huge news... at least for Belgium. But Bill Gates confirms that the chances are high other countries will follow the Belgian example. It stands firm that the use of a legal, governmental document to confirm one's identity on MSN Messenger is a historical step and leads to a safer online environment.
The Belgian government is not talking to Microsoft exclusively but has addressed the entire country's IT-sector to research the possibilities of the eID. Microsoft was the first company to come up with a concrete project to adjust their software to our interest.
UPDATE #1: Not accidentally in Belgium, one of the main applications for the eID is to fight back the abuse of under aged chatters by adults. The Belgian Federal Computer Crime Unit in 2003 registered 39 cases of children harassed by paedophiles on the web. With the eID it will be possible to make chatrooms accessible only to certain age groups or even allow parents to prevent their young children from adding adults to their MSN Messenger contact lists. This will hopefully forever thwart cases like this in the future.
UPDATE #2: About the time-scale for implementation, Bill Gates said the following: "We're not sure yet when we will be able to deliver this integration, but developers here in Belgium and the United States have proven the concept and are working already on the actual solution.
"
cvh
Feb 2 2005, 11:51 AM
Its good for online protection but I am sure Bill will abuse it for his own benefit and many will follow.
(Insert your id card to register your software in case you don't have a valid serial number a bill will be sent which must be paid within 7 days or extra costs will be charged.)
Nice for identity thieves
relax
Feb 2 2005, 11:56 AM
QUOTE(cvh @ Feb 2 2005, 11:51 AM)
Its good for online protection
Some of us (me!) want to stay anonymous on the internet for good reasons.... what they are looking to do with this card can only be the start of something bad for people who dont want to be know.
cvh
Feb 2 2005, 01:18 PM
QUOTE(relax @ Feb 2 2005, 12:56 PM)
QUOTE(cvh @ Feb 2 2005, 11:51 AM)
Its good for online protection
Some of us (me!) want to stay anonymous on the internet for good reasons.... what they are looking to do with this card can only be the start of something bad for people who dont want to be know.
It would be very good protection against pedophiles. But thats the only positive thing there is, for the rest I want to stay anonymous and everybody else to.
It would be a very bad thing when you must insert your card for a free email account, t-shirt,.., then the spammers won't be filling up your 'online' mailbox any more.
For the protection off children you could force people (children) to have them self identified by an other way to have access to certain channels (chat card, letter at home).
The digital id-card is a very bad idea, and I think it will change the internet forever.
Think about it the session-id of a site replaced by your id-card. You can only access the internet when you insert your id-card. ...
relax
Feb 2 2005, 01:41 PM
QUOTE(cvh @ Feb 2 2005, 01:18 PM)
Think about it the session-id of a site replaced by your id-card. You can only access the internet when you insert your id-card. ...
untill they find away around it lets just hope it doesnt happen in the first place.
cvh
Feb 2 2005, 02:34 PM
Yes this is going to get hacked very quickly, if they should use it for online identification.
you must say, that it could easily open up opportunities..say...if you have bank account information connected to the id card when you login with it, hack a id card, id theft mr. billy gates heh the possibilities
FiNaLBeTa
Feb 3 2005, 12:39 PM
The electronic ID is mend to hold our medical records 2. To make it all very easy. The funny thing is that you now have 2 remember a pin code to use it, and you have to carry around a piece of paper that holds you address. ( They wont put that on it ).
Further more this electronic ID should allow the Belgian government to deny small children to see things on the net they should not. This makes the internet safer for them. Completely true. But I don't want this. I don't want the governments to control parts of the web, letting them control what we can see or not. for any reason what so ever. Surely this starts small, But the more governments that use it. The more control they will want to take. In name of safety. I fear they will continue until the time we will all have to log in wit the ID before we even get access to the internet. I only see doom in this.
cvh
Feb 4 2005, 09:12 AM
QUOTE(FiNaLBeTa @ Feb 3 2005, 01:39 PM)
The electronic ID is mend to hold our medical records 2. To make it all very easy. The funny thing is that you now have 2 remember a pin code to use it, and you have to carry around a piece of paper that holds you address. ( They wont put that on it ).
Further more this electronic ID should allow the Belgian government to deny small children to see things on the net they should not. This makes the internet safer for them. Completely true. But I don't want this. I don't want the governments to control parts of the web, letting them control what we can see or not. for any reason what so ever. Surely this starts small, But the more governments that use it. The more control they will want to take. In name of safety. I fear they will continue until the time we will all have to log in wit the ID before we even get access to the internet. I only see doom in this.
I totally agree.
aapje
Feb 4 2005, 12:11 PM
I dont get it, how is this possible? How can a commercial company like microsoft control software with information that is private, i dont understand how an government can agree to that. Ill throw away my id card if gates' software is involved, it will only lead to abuse and ofcourse hacking.
TheOther
Feb 4 2005, 09:58 PM
QUOTE(aapje @ Feb 4 2005, 12:11 PM)
I dont get it, how is this possible? How can a commercial company like microsoft control software with information that is private, i dont understand how an government can agree to that. Ill throw away my id card if gates' software is involved, it will only lead to abuse and ofcourse hacking.
I'm from one of the test citys. Ive got the ID card 6months now. It is like a banc-card with a PIN and PUK code. I've forgot the software they use to control this card. you can see this when you put the card in the reader. But "luckely" i've lost my card and i have to get back to get another one. I'll write down the software they use. They use Windows OS with the special software to control and manage the ID card.
belgther
Feb 5 2005, 03:40 PM
i know the story.. after a day of publisment of software, multiple vulnerabilities will be found, and it will crash periodically even after patching, and new versions will pop out, our private information will be seen even by script kiddies, and so on...
Fletcher
Feb 10 2005, 07:58 PM
Oops, there a bug with your e-card, you are died since 1974... it's your birth ? in this case you have no reality ! (good news, in this case i dont pay !!! )
better than y2k, M$ identy card !!!
at this time i speak with my knowledge: in belgium there exist e-card for signing banking transfer, some months you have access to more bank account (that you are not owned), some day it's work, oher day you debug (or call the helpdesk).
good idee but ... i know the m$ reality
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lets just hope it doesnt happen in the first place.
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