According to the Hong Kong Secretary for Information Technology
and Broadcasting, Carrie Yau, the smart ID card would have
sophisticated security features to protect personal data as well as
capacity to provide other value-added services to members of the
public. She said the new smart ID card could also be used as a
library card, as well as for driving licence-related functions from
2005/2006.
As part of a drive to boost e-business and e-government, every
ID card holder would be offered one year's free use of an e-Cert
embedded into the card's memory chip. An e-Cert, issued by the Hong
Kong Post Certification Authority, is valid for a year and the
current fee is HK$50 (around £4.50).
An e-Cert allows the certificate holder to conduct on a secure
basis on-line transactions such as changing address details,
banking, stock trading, renewal of driving licences and filing of
tax returns.
The e-Cert provides users with a unique digital signature that
verifies a person's identity. It acts very much like an electronic
ID. It can also be used to encrypt a message to ensure content
security.
Only minimal personal data would be stored on the smart ID
card's memory chip and any data for non-immigration-related
applications would be kept separate and secure to prevent
unauthorised access or alteration.
Mrs Yau said the chip in the new smart ID card would not store
driving licence details, but the new smart ID card will allow
people to check their driving licence data as well as other
information stored in the backend computer system, such as the
current status of their driving offence points.
It will become a punishable offence for an unauthorised person
to access, use, store or disclose data collected under the
Registration of Persons Ordinance. Currently there are no
provisions to penalise such offences in the Ordinance. Provisions
will also be added into the Registration of Persons Regulations to
limit the purposes for which collected personal data may be
used.
The Registration of Persons Ordinance and Regulations will
require amendments to provide for the smart elements of the new ID
card, the value-added non-immigration applications and the ID card
replacement exercise.
The plan to remove the requirement to physically carry a driving
licence while driving will involve amendments to the Road Traffic
Ordinance and related legislation.
