[WSIS CS-Plenary] [WSIS THETHA] [kenyawsis] Government offices to acquire internet access

[Enrique A.Chaparro]

=== Spanish below ===
On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 15:52:34 +0200
"Sangonet" <thetha at sangonet.org.za> wrote:

S> Hello all,
S> 
S> hope you all read this story - quite an ambitious project by the
S> government.
S> 
S> http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/28022004/News/News2802200426.htm
[...snip...]

The project should ring several alarms in civil society.
If they are planning that  
QUOTE 
S> The programme, set to be implemented in three phases, will enable the
S> public to apply for identity cards, passports, and to access Government
S> ministries online.
UNQUOTE
How would they protect citizens' privacy, avoid impersonation or identity
theft?

Moreover,
QUOTE
S> The project will enable the public to vote on line in the next General
S> Election. It will also be used to trade in Treasury bills and bonds,
S> and to get other services on line.
UNQUOTE
I sincerely hope that the next General Election is held not earlier than
2010. There are _no_ secure systems for large-scale elections through
Internet. The most secure currently known scales theoretically (even if
poorly) to 100000 voters, with a huge infrastructure cost, and has never
been adequately tested in `real election' conditions. CS must vocally
oppose to such initiative, that could open the doors to low-cost massive
fraud.

=== English above ===

El proyecto debería hacer sonar las alarmas en la sociedad civil.
Si están planeando ``permitir al público solicitar documentos de 
identidad [y] pasaportes ... en línea''; cómo protegerán la privacidad
de los ciudadanos? cómo evitarán que sea fraguada o robada la identidad
de las personas?

Además, ``el proyecto permitirá que el público vote en línea en las
próximas elecciones generales''.
Sinceramente espero que las próximas elecciones generales se lleven
a cabo no antes de 2010. NO existen sistemas seguros para elecciones
a gran escala a través de la Internet. El más seguro que actualmente
conocemos escala teóricamente (aunque con dificultades) hasta 100000
votante, con un enorme costo de infraestructura, y nunca ha sido
probado adecuadamente en condiciones de `elecciones reales'. La
CS debe oponerse enérgicamente a esta iniciativa, que podría abrir
las puertas a un fraude masivo y de bajo costo.

Saludos,

Enrique

-- 
``Izena duen guzia omen da.''
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