White House Seeks National Online ID

White House officials are hoping to lock down an internet ID for all Americans (first reported by CNET).

"We are not talking about a national ID card." That from U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke as he spoke on Friday at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research symposium.

The Commerce Department, the administration believes, will ease the worries that intelligence agencies will have far too much reach into what Americans do, both online and off.

"We are not talking about a government-controlled system. What we are talking about is enhancing online security and privacy, and reducing and perhaps even eliminating the need to memorize a dozen passwords, through creation and use of more trusted digital identities," Locke continued.

Hey, if it can trim down on the slew of passwords users have -- and have to change with regularity for their own security (because we all do that, right?) -- then can it be that bad?

Ominously, CNET notes: "Details about the 'trusted identity' project are remarkably scarce."

Well that should keep everyone from the anti-government Tea Party to the rights-defending ACLU unhappy for a while.