First ID cards with fingerprints issued this week
Belgium’s ID cards have gotten a makeover, and fingerprints are now being required
Privacy concerns
The fingerprints will be recorded on the card’s chip, along with other identification data. The first card in the new style was administered to the mayor of Lokeren in East Flanders on Tuesday.
The fingerprints are also being stored temporarily in a central databank, which has led to criticism from citizens worried about privacy. While Belgium’s Privacy Commission also expressed concerns about the fingerprint regulation, called it “excessive”, federal security and interior minister Pieter De Crem said it was in keeping with new regulations demanded by the European Union and would help fight ID fraud.
Everyone receiving a new card or renewing their existing card must comply with the fingerprint regulation, including minors. The new cards are being rolled out systematically across the country. Because ID cards for citizens are valid for 10 years, it will take at least that long for everyone to have the new card.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin
