After months of heated debate, the Knesset approved the Biometric Database Law Monday night, paving the way for the introduction of “smart” identification documents for all Israelis.

Once the law goes into effect, there will be a trial period of two years, during which participation in the biometric database will be voluntary.

If the trial period is deemed successful, Interior Ministry officials will be authorized to take the fingerprints and facial contours of all Israeli residents before providing them with identifying documents. The documents will include a micro-chip, which will contain photos of two fingerprints and the person’s facial contours.

The plenum finally approved the legislation by a vote of 40 to 11, with three abstaining, after coalition skeptics forced the government to draft a compromise, to allay fears that a biometric database would provide fertile ground for computer hackers and violate citizens’ basic privacy rights.

The law, dubbed by its detractors “the Big Brother bill,” had been scheduled to be approved three weeks ago, but its opponents, who included Public Affairs Minister Michael Eitan, convinced the coalition to go back to the negotiating table and create a ministerial committee to probe the issue further.

Read Entire Story in Jerusalem Post

computer hackers, Big Brother Bill, citizens basic privacy rights, micro-chip

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Tags: Biometric Database Law, facial contours, fingerprints, Knesset

After months of heated debate, the Knesset approved the Biometric Database Law Monday night, paving the way for the introduction of “smart” identification documents for all Israelis.

Once the law goes into effect, there will be a trial period of two years, during which participation in the biometric database will be voluntary.

If the trial period is deemed successful, Interior Ministry officials will be authorized to take the fingerprints and facial contours of all Israeli residents before providing them with identifying documents. The documents will include a micro-chip, which will contain photos of two fingerprints and the person’s facial contours.

The plenum finally approved the legislation by a vote of 40 to 11, with three abstaining, after coalition skeptics forced the government to draft a compromise, to allay fears that a biometric database would provide fertile ground for computer hackers and violate citizens’ basic privacy rights.

The law, dubbed by its detractors “the Big Brother bill,” had been scheduled to be approved three weeks ago, but its opponents, who included Public Affairs Minister Michael Eitan, convinced the coalition to go back to the negotiating table and create a ministerial committee to probe the issue further.

Read Entire Story in Jerusalem Post http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1260181012473&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

computer hackers, Big Brother Bill, citizens basic privacy rights, micro-chip

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Tags: Biometric Database Law, facial contours, fingerprints, Knesset