I don't remember ever being fingerprinted to get ID. Maybe when I got a passport as a kid, but never for a driver's license.
this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2025
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Privacy
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The American fear of a proper ID system is puzzling to me. It's constant fear mongering of overreach by the man and not enough appreciation of the benefits. The first one is a self-updating voter registry that eliminates the process of registering or having to check on your registration to make sure you didn't get knocked off for no good reason. All people need to update their home addresses when they move. Another benefit is - if implemented well of course - that everybody could have a 2FA-quality chip in their pocket to allow for many services to be done reasonably safely online. The dreaded lines of the DMV come to mind. Another benefit is you could prove very quickly who you are, especially if fingerprints are on the chip, to counter mistaken identity arrests that may or may not have been instigated by a so-called AI.
So the government knows everything about you, sure. But it's not a one-sided deal. And frankly, even if the government did not have this information on you before it turned tyrannical, it would ID you as a possible malcontent in no time. Your data is already available for sale on various data broker sites.
I realize that me preaching the benefits of a proper ID system to the Americans in times of 47 and ICE raids is a bit wonky. I am not going to speculate if the self-updating voter registry could've prevented 47. And ICE under 47 might find its job "easier." But from what I've read and heard they haven't exactly been detail-oriented public servants. When the rule of law breaks down everybody gets effed. And so-called illegal immigrants also have phones and use the internet so their information was also available for sale before stable genius returned to the orange office.
Of course there are dangers that need to be addressed. Access to the database needs to be tighter than a sphincter and every query needs to be logged. Every system will be abused. Checks and balances need to be there, ideally with a right to find out who looked you up and for what reason for everyone. I'd prefer a system embedded in law over internet data brokers.
All depends on what services you’re looking to use in the USA.
It depends where you are and what you're renewing. Lots of these things (photos/fingerprints/etc) may be optional. Research beforehand, talk with the staff, express your concerns, be polite, and see which parts you can opt out.
California ID just has a thumb print and has had it for decades. Renewing mostly gives them reiteration of info that they already have.
I was able to renew mine online using the old picture.
I usually ignore renewals as much as I can. My last ID card was 8 years overdue.
Fair enough. Any plan in case you need to leave (or flee) your country?
I live in the EU and thus I can travel pretty far away without having to ever show my ID card. Maybe it’s just personal experience but whenever I had to show it, no-one cared about it wasn’t valid anymore.
Another trick is acting stupid: “Oh, thank you! I didn’t notice! When would a normal person check that, eh? 🙂 … Right on next Monday I’ll going to renew it!” and then hasta la vista, we won’t meet ever again anyways.
The next time I have to renew it, is in 2031. I guess I won’t renew it till 2040.
depending on how you look, what your hair & skin colour is, you may be checked "randomly" while you're walking home or when you're crossing borders on a train. If your ID isn't valid, they won't just "not care about it"
that polite policeman passing you by with a "good day" would wake me up on the train to ~~check~~ harass me to see if i'm hiding who knows what in my testicles 🤬
Maybe it’s just personal experience
your experience doesn't reflect Europe, it is a commentary about what you see in the mirror
depending on how you look
… and even more where you cross the border. If I want to go (like in “just walk there”) from Poland to Germany, I could use this bridge for example:
It’s really just an ordinary bridge across a river, no border patrol, no ID check, nothing. Just walk from one country into another.
Or if I want to cross the border from Germany to France, I could just use that publicly accessible hiking path:
(Seen from French side, the barrier where the people sit is the whole border crossing point.) And this bridge with a view brings you from France to Spain.
Except border check points you’ll find luxury housing on French side and commercial buildings (stores and some warehouses) on Spain side.
At no point in that imaginary journey (now that I think about it, this would make a great road trip with hiking parts) you need your ID card when you travel to another country.
Long story short: It’s really easy to cross borders in the EU.
☞ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_perception
Selective perception is the tendency to not notice and more quickly forget stimuli that cause emotional discomfort and contradict prior beliefs. For example, a teacher may have a favorite student because they are biased by in-group favoritism. The teacher ignores the student's poor attainment. Conversely, they might not notice the progress of their least favorite student. It can also occur when consuming mass media, allowing people to see facts and opinions they like while ignoring those that do not fit with particular opinions, values, beliefs, or frame of reference. Psychologists believe this process occurs automatically.
Selective perception has roots in cognitive psychology, where it is studied as a fundamental part of how individuals filter and process information based on biases, expectations, and past experiences. It is closely related to concepts like confirmation bias—favoring information that aligns with one’s beliefs—and cognitive dissonance, the discomfort of holding conflicting thoughts, both of which shape perception. Its applications extend beyond psychology, playing key roles in marketing (shaping consumer focus), politics (influencing voter perception), and mental health (understanding biases in disorders), highlighting its impact on both individual behaviors and societal trends.
Schengen, lol.