3 ms·

how about everyone gets a pgp key to establish a long term online identity... kinda like keybase sought to do. Not so great for sending secret messages, but re

how about everyone gets a pgp key to establish a long term online identity... kinda like keybase sought to do. Not so great for sending secret messages, but really great for an identity toehold.

LinuxBender 4y ago
I like the idea but my preference would be a hybrid of this. - Go to the post office, have ID verified, papers verified, pictures taken, GPG keys created multiple so you can revoke one and leap-frog to another without being in an orphaned state, ID card printed that has a GPG signed PDF417 [1] code on both sides and a color picture. - Lost card? Go back to post office and have them revoke your card and your active GPG key. Get new card that uses one of your unused GPG public keys that have already been uploaded to the various government servers. - No RFID, no NFC, no Magstrip, no eco-friendly plastic. Make this thing nearly indestructible and only the PDF417 is used by sensors and can be scanned or photographed by someone paying their taxes or filing other government forms. - Braille dots along top of card to make it easy to find the card and to show which way to hold and insert card in readers that should also have corresponding braille dots. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF417 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF417
anonporridge 4y ago
You trust the average individual to keep a private key secure and backed up?
- candiddevmike 4y ago
  I imagine it would be the equivalent of a digital driver's license: signed by the government, can be revoked/reissued if you go in person to the post office or something.
  - toomuchtodo 4y ago
    https://e-estonia.com/solutions/e-identity/id-card/ https://e-estonia.com/solutions/e-identity/id-card/ https://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/ https://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/ https://www.fedidcard.gov/home https://www.fedidcard.gov/home
EvanAnderson 4y ago
The USPS would be a great fit for this. Thru have delivery and address / identity verification infrastructure and lots of local physical presence. They could issue tokens and act as the root CA for the PKI.
- DesiLurker 4y ago
  and also maybe a 1GB email mailbox for a small fee. that might serve as a good alternative to the ad supported webmail prevailing today.
- ROTMetro 4y ago
  The USPS would be horrible for this. Small town post offices are too vindictive and not professional enough to be given this level of authority/power.
woodruffw 4y ago
Most people struggle not to lose their credit cards (which can be disabled and replaced without significant pain), much less long-term key material. I shudder at the thought of civil servants needing to understand key revocation. (That's even before quibbling over whether PGP would be the right choice for civil cryptographic identities, which it probably isn't.)
- kalleboo 4y ago
  In some countries you get your private key embedded in the smart chip in your government ID card (accessible by NFC from any recent smartphone or a $10 USB reader), which you'll want to replace anyway if you lose it.
piuantiderp 4y ago
The mexican version of the IRS already does that.

how about everyone gets a pgp key to establish a long term online identity... kinda like keybase sought to do. Not so great for sending secret messages, but really great for an identity toehold.

LinuxBender 4y ago

I like the idea but my preference would be a hybrid of this. - Go to the post office, have ID verified, papers verified, pictures taken, GPG keys created multiple so you can revoke one and leap-frog to another without being in an orphaned state, ID card printed that has a GPG signed PDF417 [1] code on both sides and a color picture. - Lost card? Go back to post office and have them revoke your card and your active GPG key. Get new card that uses one of your unused GPG public keys that have already been uploaded to the various government servers. - No RFID, no NFC, no Magstrip, no eco-friendly plastic. Make this thing nearly indestructible and only the PDF417 is used by sensors and can be scanned or photographed by someone paying their taxes or filing other government forms. - Braille dots along top of card to make it easy to find the card and to show which way to hold and insert card in readers that should also have corresponding braille dots. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF417 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF417

anonporridge 4y ago

You trust the average individual to keep a private key secure and backed up?

candiddevmike 4y ago
I imagine it would be the equivalent of a digital driver's license: signed by the government, can be revoked/reissued if you go in person to the post office or something.
- toomuchtodo 4y ago
  https://e-estonia.com/solutions/e-identity/id-card/ https://e-estonia.com/solutions/e-identity/id-card/ https://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/ https://www.cac.mil/common-access-card/ https://www.fedidcard.gov/home https://www.fedidcard.gov/home

EvanAnderson 4y ago

The USPS would be a great fit for this. Thru have delivery and address / identity verification infrastructure and lots of local physical presence. They could issue tokens and act as the root CA for the PKI.

DesiLurker 4y ago
and also maybe a 1GB email mailbox for a small fee. that might serve as a good alternative to the ad supported webmail prevailing today.
ROTMetro 4y ago
The USPS would be horrible for this. Small town post offices are too vindictive and not professional enough to be given this level of authority/power.

woodruffw 4y ago

Most people struggle not to lose their credit cards (which can be disabled and replaced without significant pain), much less long-term key material. I shudder at the thought of civil servants needing to understand key revocation. (That's even before quibbling over whether PGP would be the right choice for civil cryptographic identities, which it probably isn't.)

kalleboo 4y ago
In some countries you get your private key embedded in the smart chip in your government ID card (accessible by NFC from any recent smartphone or a $10 USB reader), which you'll want to replace anyway if you lose it.

piuantiderp 4y ago

The mexican version of the IRS already does that.