The system can unequivocally link a person to a particular ID card without having to match their biometric characteristics to data stored either on the card or on a central database.
A biometric is a unique measure of some facet of a person's body - such as a fingerprint or an iris scan. By 2005, the International Civil Aviation Organisation wants such data incorporated in newly issued passports. And the UK government wants it in ID cards from 2007. The information will also be stored on databases.
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