But a social security number already works this way. It's tied to bank account, credit score, driving license (in California) and what-all else. Until the 80s,

But a social security number already works this way. It's tied to bank account, credit score, driving license (in California) and what-all else. Until the 80s, that was illegal. A more universal isn't the gateway to totalitarianism, nor is CCTV on every street corner, data retention laws for private ISPs or warrantless searches of private email[0]. All these add up, but they're not enough on their own. Imagine though what might happen if we had someone like Dick Cheney as president and some disaster allowed him to declare a state of emergency. I think it's a good idea to be extra careful with this sort of thing; it can get out of hand long before you know it. [0] http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/04/13 http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/04/13