Equifax and the I-Card
November 17, 2008 by Antivirus Ware.comThe Icard, which is officially the “over 18 card” was introduced by Equifax recently. It is said to be the equivalent of an online driver’s license. The Equifax card will be able to prove, via a third party, that an individual is over the age of 18. Age has been growing as an internet concern because there was no way to verify that someone was old enough to be viewing or purchasing what was online.
Equifax, along with Google, Pay Pal, Novell, and Microsoft had previously formed the Information card foundation. The foundation wanted to protect against the criminal element as well as underage users. There had to be some source of verifying who someone was when they were signing up for programs, or filling out forms. Users online are invisible, so no one really knows if they are 21, or 12. The new card helps to identify people who try to pose as someone else online.
Soon may come the time when everyone will be required to have an Icard. Internet Security continues to be an issue, and without some sort of online identification, it can’t improve. While it may seem inconvenient to have to apply for the Icard, the upshot is when it is fully implemented; you can be assured your child isn’t fraudulently using the internet. (Unless, of course, they have your card!) Most see the Icard as a positive step in increasing internet security and protecting against fraud.
