In Israel, every person that is a permanent resident is required to carry an identification card (except for those who are younger than the age of 16). This card is printed in both Hebrew and Arabic. If a police officer requests to see the ID, the person must be able to produce the card. There are fines for people who are unable to do this, although the fine can be rescinded if the person follows up within five days to rectify the issue.

There is currently a movement in the Israeli government to improve the security of these identification cards by using features that are based on biometrics.

Some data that the government is interested in embedding into these cards include fingerprints and facial features. However, some roadblocks have emerged in the discussion about implementation. There is particular concern that the technology yields an error rate that is much higher than is acceptable. While it is acknowledged that the identification cards can decrease the amount of fraud that comes from identity theft, some feel that errors that come from biometrics-based cards could lead to false accusations or time wasted on investigating the errors.

With opposition coming from privacy advocates, who are concerned about the potential abuse of personal information that is embedded in these identification cards, the Israeli Interior Ministry is working to hold more sessions about the possibilities of biometrics-based cards, particularly in regards to security.

Kadima party MK Meir Sheetrit has gone on record to reject criticism of the Biometric ID Card law by saying the bill is crucial to Israel’s security and pointed to the estimates that said there may be up to 350000 people currently in Israel have fake ID cards.

There will likely be more discussion about the use and storage of the personal data to ensure that people’s identities are safe in order to get better acceptance by the people.

Airlines that offer special security lines for their elite fliers are looking to cash in on Clear’s downfall. For example, United Airlines is hoping to capitalize on their “Premier Screening” line for fliers who may not be part of their Mileage Plus elite fliers. Information about United’s program here.

The bigger issues that remain unresolved are the involvement of the TSA prior to the shutdown of the program and what will happen with all the passenger data collected thus far, especially the biometrics data now seems to be unnecessary under the “Registered Traveler” program. Some travelers are upset and claiming that their data was unnecessarily collected when it became clear that the data did not fundamentally change the way that the program was run. Instead, some felt that the program was a glorified identification program that unnecessarily collected biometrics data. This biometrics data is now floating out in space, as the company closes down operations. For some of these fliers, the thought of having another company buy sensitive biometrics data is unsettling at best and worrisome at worst. New identification programs will continue to emerge but the exit of Clear leaves many questions answered.