RE: [xcbf] Biometric ID cards 'dangerously flawed'

["jmessing" <jmessing@law-on-line.com>]

The National Notary Association in the US is providing (for a price) to its members a kit for making electronic journal record entries in connection with notarization transactions(which still are seemingly paper-based) using a digitized pad and a camera and biometric reader to assist in enotarizing digitized signatures and security protections of biometric devices.

By way of explanation, notaries keep journals of the various acts of notarizations. In connection with the notarization of a document, an entry is made in the journal of the date, time, etc. The document signer also signs a journal entry. The journal functions in the paper world like a timestamp does in the electronic world. It is a consecutive record chronologically arranged to prevent later back dating of documents. In the National Notary offering, the digitized signature and biometric identifier of a signer, with optionally a photograph are entered into the electronic journal. This is probably a step preliminary to obtaining authorization to use this method for the notarization itself, but presumably the notarization remains on paper, for the time being.

Wired article

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,59062,00.html 

Business Week article:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_22/b3835032.htm

The National Notary's site has information as well. See

http://www.nationalnotary.org/enjoa/

The eNotary TC of LegalXML-Oasis will be meeting with representatives of the United States Post Office, the National Notary Association, private vendors and others to discuss the creation of an infrastructure to support notarial signings and digital certificate Electronic Postmarks in San Fransisco in early August, in connection with the annual meeting of the American Bar Association. The use of biometrics with certificates will be a subject on the agenda. Phil Griffin has suggested work on a spec for this purpose in the XCBF TC. If there is any interest by any member of the TC in attending the meeting, please let me know.

Best regards.

John Messing
Chair, eNotary TC LegalXML-Oasis
Chair, Electronic Filing Committee, American Bar Association