11:12 16.10.2012

Introduction of e-passports could create police state in Ukraine, expert says

3 min read

According to an expert-demographer, the law on the introduction electronic passports in Ukraine will create more problems rather than make Ukrainians' lives easier.

"This law is predominantly meant for printing documents, but not for the creation of a single demographic register," the expert from the Institute for Demography and Social Studies Oleksandr Hladun said at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday.

In particular, after analyzing the text of the bill on the introduction of electronic passports, he noted that this card according to the law would not contain information about place of residence.

"It will create problems for people in proving their place of residence," the expert said, adding that now many establishments starting from banks demand confirmation of place of residence.

Moreover, according to him, this card will have electronic information, although the law "does not regulate what information will be put on this electronic device."

However, Hladun said the law envisages that a single state demographic register is formed on the basis of departmental information systems. For example, there is a lawyer database or database of the interior agencies, or another databases that contain information about the Ukrainian citizens.

"If somebody wants to include a registration information about a person into the single state demographic register, he will do that," the expert said.

According to the expert, the adoption and introduction of this law threatens "to create a police state", when any information can be collected about any person.

One problem Hladun mentioned was the leakage of information collected about a person in the single state demographic register, when such information could be used for any purpose. Talking about information that will be contained on the electronic chip in the electronic passport, where there are biometric data on each person, there is a risk that these data will be used without the person's knowledge.

Moreover, the law foresees that the paper passports issued to Ukrainian citizens before the introduction of the e-passports, will be valid until the end of their validity term. However, to his mind, "there will be a forced transfer to the e-cards."

Hladun also has doubts that demographers could use a single demographic register to hold a national census, as at any given moment there are issues about whether information collected in the register is complete, and whether this register will update information

He also stressed that there is another issue: how will all state establishments and other establishment be equipped with the devices that can read information from the e-passport of the citizen? No one knows how much money has to be spent to introduce this law.

As reported, on October 2, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a law on the single state demographic register, which envisages the introduction of electronic passports for Ukrainians.

The law, in particular, foresees the introduction of electronic passports for traveling abroad in accordance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ІCAO).

The law proposes establishing that the register contains the following information about a person: name and surname, date of birth/death, place of birth, sex, date of the submission of information about a person in the register, data about parents (adoptive parents), guardians, and other representatives, data about citizenship or its absence, as well as details of all documents issued to the person, a sample of their signature, and a photo.

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