An update of my prior blog on this issue.
The LA Times recently wrote (reg. required) about more privacy consequences of this law which will have a significant effect on your privacy.
From the article:
“But once the law takes full effect three years from now, it will also give many more bureaucrats access to personal information on people nationwide. And it will add more data to each file  including digital copies of documents with birth and address information.
“It’s a gigantic treasure trove for those who are bent on obtaining data for the purpose of creating fake identities,” said Beth Givens of the nonprofit Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Armed with a stranger’s name, Social Security number and date of birth, it’s not hard for fraudsters to take out bogus loans that can wreck a victim’s credit record.
Critics predict the standardization will prompt many more merchants to scan customer licenses and then pass on the information to such data brokers as ChoicePoint Inc. and LexisNexis. The databases of both ChoicePoint and LexisNexis have been exploited by identity thieves.”
The large amount of personal information that has already been compromised through the LexisNexis and Choicepoint breaches is disturbing enough. So we have a law which might, ironically, make it easier for these breaches to occur.
To the commenter on my prior blog who extolled the benefits of ID cards, I urge you to enjoy life in your country. In the States, privacy advocates are actually trying to hold on to the last of our rapidly disappearing freedoms.
Alex