According to the Hong Kong Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, Carrie Yau, the smart ID card would have sophisticated security features to protect personal data as well as capacity to provide other value-added services to members of the public. She said the new smart ID card could also be used as a library card, as well as for driving licence-related functions from 2005/2006.
As part of a drive to boost e-business and e-government, every ID card holder would be offered one year's free use of an e-Cert embedded into the card's memory chip. An e-Cert, issued by the Hong Kong Post Certification Authority, is valid for a year and the current fee is HK$50 (around £4.50).
An e-Cert allows the certificate holder to conduct on a secure basis on-line transactions such as changing address details, banking, stock trading, renewal of driving licences and filing of tax returns.
The e-Cert provides users with a unique digital signature that verifies a person's identity. It acts very much like an electronic ID. It can also be used to encrypt a message to ensure content security.
Only minimal personal data would be stored on the smart ID card's memory chip and any data for non-immigration-related applications would be kept separate and secure to prevent unauthorised access or alteration.
Mrs Yau said the chip in the new smart ID card would not store driving licence details, but the new smart ID card will allow people to check their driving licence data as well as other information stored in the backend computer system, such as the current status of their driving offence points.
It will become a punishable offence for an unauthorised person to access, use, store or disclose data collected under the Registration of Persons Ordinance. Currently there are no provisions to penalise such offences in the Ordinance. Provisions will also be added into the Registration of Persons Regulations to limit the purposes for which collected personal data may be used.
The Registration of Persons Ordinance and Regulations will require amendments to provide for the smart elements of the new ID card, the value-added non-immigration applications and the ID card replacement exercise.
The plan to remove the requirement to physically carry a driving licence while driving will involve amendments to the Road Traffic Ordinance and related legislation.