By Bori Toth

As governments face increasing risks of terrorism, large scale identity fraud and illegal immigration, the use of National ID cards has become an increasingly contentious subject. For the governments, an ID card containing biometric identifiers for every citizen could provide a much needed solution to these issues; however, the ID card is not without its problems and opponents. Many people argue that a national ID card scheme is an infringement on civil liberties, as well as a considerable burden on the tax payer.

This Biometric ID card debates article discusses the arguments for and against biometric ID cards, and also takes a look at the technologies available. The article was published by ISACA Chapter Switzerland's Newsletter dedicated to biometrics in June 2005 and distributed to around 1400 IT security professionals in Switzerland, Germany and Austria.