The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) has hailed the first months requiring REAL ID for domestic air travel a great success.
Almost 94 percent of air travelers presented a REAL ID, “or another acceptable form of ID” to board commercial airliners since May 7, according to an email from the TSA.
Meanwhile, some politicians and privacy advocates say that REAL ID and similar programs allow the federal government unprecedented access to personal data without enough information on how that data will be secured or used.
REAL ID was born out of the 9/11 Commission Report issued on July 22, 2004. The report dissected the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to find ways to prevent future attacks. Page 407 of the report states, “The federal government should set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.”…