Plans to introduce an electronic identity card in France by 2006 have been announced by the country's minister of the interior. According to a report on Silicon on 1 October 2003, chip ID card will use a public key infrastructure (PKI) to authenticate the identity of the user, said Nicolas Sarkozy. He said the card could be used for central and local government, but was unable to confirm whether biometrics technology would also be used.
Sarkozy is pressing ahead with the plans even though he is experiencing the same battle over privacy issues as the British Government is in its ID card proposals. Questions are also being asked about whether the introduction of such a card in France would replace all other cards in common everyday use.
The French Government is also planning to announce measures to raise the profile of e-government in the country. It will publish "a strategic blueprint for electronic public services from 2003 to 2007" over the next few weeks, said the minister.
"It's no longer up to the citizens to come to e-government, it's up to e-government to go to them," he said.
Quelle: Kablenet
