[LINK] Digitised signatures.

[Frank O'Connor]

Mmmm ...

Sounds like a combination of the old 'Garbage In, Garbage Out' with Big Brother pervasiveness.

The good news however is that anyone who attempts to use that signature on your bank accounts, credit cards, or any other non-government transaction will probably be picked up pretty damn quick. The bad news is that given it's on your driver's license (hopefully not on the physical copy though), and given that the drivers license is one of the primary points of ID for little numbers like Passport applications, credit applications, utility account creation, 100 point checks and the like ... this may cause you a few problems in the future.

I forsee more problems if the physical copy of the license does not contain your correct signature, but fewer problems if someone steals/accesses that poorly captured digital signature from the relevant Queensland government archives. (And you'll have no problems pointing the finger at whoever let your 'signature' out into the wild if that did happen - it can only be a lapse of security by the Queensland government. Their incompetence will be their own reward.)

If you have regular contact with the Queensland constabulary (and I don't for a moment even contemplate that you do) the disparity between the online stored signature and your actual signature could cause a few heart stopping ad unpleasant moments. ("Right Otto ... let's do a full strip search! Have you got my rubber gloves?")

Were I the government I'd be looking to get the most reliable, valid copy of the signature I could, but I'm guessing Queensland public servants aren't exactly engaged with providing quality service for their political masters at the moment ... given the recent budgetary and staff cuts. Approaching them may be a waste of time, but you could get lucky and find a non-disaffected minion who would be willing to re-take your signature and replace it in the records ...

Just my 2 cents worth ...
---
On 10/10/2012, at 4:32 PM, Mike <Mike.Shearer at westnet.com.au> wrote:

> I have just renewed my Queensland driver licence, for which I was 
> required to provide a signature via a glass-topped device using a large 
> round-ended "pen" (a Verifone Signature Capture Pad?) .
> 
> After about five or six attempts to achieve something even vaguely like 
> my usual signature , and having the alternative of just an "X" rejected 
> by the desk officer, I provide a squiggle that was accepted as my 
> "signature" and which will appear on my driver licence for the next five 
> years.
> 
> 
> I understand that the squiggle will be stored digitally, and that it can 
> be accessed for various purposes where my signature is to be verified. 
> If the stored squiggle is so unlike my real signature then it could 
> appear to match any number of fake versions.
> 
> This is a very serious issue with relevance to privacy, identity theft, 
> and the reliability of government data. I understand that wide use of 
> Queensland driver licences data beyond simply authenticating the right 
> to drive a vehicle is intended in future.
> 
> I have not found any research on the reliability of signatures captured 
> on digitisers that provide a near frictionless surface and inappropriate 
> hand support.   Any thoughts on the issues raised here?
> 
> 
> Mike Shearer
> Townsville
> 
> -- 
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