The dramatic advances in computing technology over even just the past decade mean that the government has much more power today in collecting, storing, and analyzing information about all of us. A national ID system, especially if linked with other government databases, can paint a picture in fine-grained detail about where we go, who we talk to, where we worship, and where we stand on sensitive political issues, among many other sensitive data points.

As a nation, we live by the principle that the government should not be able to collect such information without cause. A national ID system turns that fundamental principle on its head. We must continue to support basic freedoms and protect against our becoming a country where the government can demand, “Papers, please.”