Poland’s government is planning to introduce new electronic ID cards.
The new ID card will be plastic with a built-in microprocessor, which will enable its owner to store all sorts of electronic information on it, including photographs.
The new ID will contain personal data, such as name, surname, parents’ names, ID number, sex, nationality, place and date of birth. It will not include information about permanent address, which will be more comfortable because a change of address will not require a change of ID card.
Personal descriptions of height, the colour of the eyes and so on will also be excluded from the new ID. Poles will be freer to choose a photo which they will save on the new ID. They will be allowed to wear tinted glasses or a hat in the picture.
The main advantage of the new ID will be the ability to arrange things by internet, because the microchip will contain a certificate which will replace an electronic signature.
The Civic Platform-led government wants to introduce the new ID cards in 2011. The pace of changing IDs is quite fast as only two years ago Poles finished replacing paper IDs with their plastic counterparts. (mg/pg)