The Increasing Prevalence of Smartcard Use
Smart cards are the wave of the future. In Europe, smart cards are common as embedded parts of credit cards and personal identification. The United States has been slower to adopt the use of smart cards because citizens are wary of nationalized ID cards. This may have something to do with the fear of biblical Christian prophecies that relate to the Antichrist forcing people to take the mark before they can buy or sell.
What Are Smartcards?
In 1968, Helmut Grottrup and his colleague Jurgen Dethloff invented the first smartcard. It took a long time before their new invention was patented in 1982. Other talented scientists developed memory cards. These cards are made of plastic with embedded circuits that could hold personal data.
In short, smart cards are pocket-size cards or chips that are embedded with integrated circuits that can process data. They have a variety of uses and are critical in our highly electronic world.
Uses for Smart Cards
One of the first applications for smart cards was the introduction into the financial system. MasterCard and Visa International saw the technology as a vital way to carry cardholder information and interact with financial systems security. Because of this, smart cards are widely used on credit cards all over Europe. The user inserts their card into the card reader reads the information on the stored memory circuit. The computer system then prompts the cardholder to input a pin number and the transaction is then accepted or rejected based on their account information.
Smart cards also have a broad application for system security. Many kinds of businesses worldwide use employee identification cards to allow employees access to secure buildings and areas. Computer security systems also contract entry history using the information provided by the cards.
Many roads around the world have tollbooths. Accessing mass transit systems is a challenge due to the numbers of people trying to get change and enter the facilities. Smart cards can be purchased and users can download money onto the cards for easy drive-bys through tollbooths and instant access to mass transit areas.
After 9/11, advocates of a national ID card system, advocated and new government issued ID with the smartcard to prevent illegal access to the United States and illegal use of foreign visas. One problem became to light after the 9/11 attacks was that the terrorists all had a legal driver's licenses and had gone outside the use of their visas. A national ID card system was proposed as a means to deal with this problem. Proponents suggested that it would be a better way to track foreign nationals that only people with legal status could obtain drivers licenses. Even though the country was still reeling from the terrible attacks, no one wanted to sacrifice privacy for government intervention.
Countries in Europe have no problem with national ID card systems. Recently Spain and Belgium required their citizens to obtain nationalized ID cards with smartcards embedded. Other countries like Malaysia also use similar identification systems.
Smart cards are increasingly being used in Europe as e-pay systems that are accepted at a wide variety of retail outlets. Utilities can be paid, and any other government services can be purchased using these e-pay systems.
Contactless Smart Cards
Every cell phone has an embedded smart system called a SIM card. The small plastic cards are inserted inside the cell phone, and they contain a person’s cell phone number, telephone and address book, and personal information. The phones do not work without the installation of the SIM card.
Radiofrequency identification tags are tiny chips that can be inserted almost anywhere. These are another example of contactless smart card technology. The uses for RFID tags are endless. Retailers and logistics operators use them to track the movement of goods across the supply chain. Once the goods arrive at the retail outlet, the company can use them to prevent theft and track inventory.
In the future, RFID may be used to track people. It makes sense that a person should have one method of identification and payment systems. An implanted RFID chip could resolve a lot of problems. Identity theft would be more difficult if everyone had one system to make payments with. A cashless society would help cut down on money theft and bank robberies. If implemented, the personalized RFID chip would contain a person's personal information, health history, financial account information, and personal identification number such as a Social Security number.
Implications of Global Smartcards
Critics have many issues with smartcards. The arguments mostly pertain to RFID chips and national ID cards. They worry about the loss of privacy in our modern world. Stories like George Orwell's classic remind us of the problems that a national identity system and single-payer system could bring. Forcing people to use payment systems like this remind Christians of a passage in the biblical book of Revelations where the most evil dictator forces everyone to accept his Mark of the Beast. According to the story, no one can buy or sell without this so-called mark. While stories should never stop the path of progress, there is no harm in proceeding with caution just because technology can eliminate cash.