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US Passports To Recieve RFID Chips

Posted by Zonk on from the like-it-or-not-here-they-come dept.

connah0047 writes "The Washington Post reports that US passports will be getting RFID chips by October of 2006. Despite security concerns, the U.S. has now committed to putting RFID chips in the passports of all U.S. citizens. The new regulations will mean that all new and renewing U.S. passports will contain RFID chips by October 2006. While some believe this is a step forward, there are major privacy and security issues with the wireless technology."

8 of 309 comments (clear)

  1. If only they listened... by KingSkippus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    From TFA:

    But in a federal filing, the [State] department said that 98.5 percent of the 2,335 comments it received since it issued proposed rules last spring opposed the program.

    Abraham Lincoln once said "that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

    I don't know about you all, but I think that Abe was a pretty wise man with a great idea. I sure wish that our government was like that...

    I can't help but wonder what would happen if everyone started "accidentally" microwaving their passports.

    1. Re:If only they listened... by bentcd · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Blah blah. RFID has it's place, but it's a terrible idea in this context. Does anyone want a passport than can be read without your knowledge, by a random stranger?

      Or by a random wayside bomb. The time is past when only the anti-terrorists could do surgical strikes . . .

      --
      sigs are hazardous to your health
  2. Don't like it. by conJunk · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Earlier this year, I was sitting at a travel agent's office in Japan. There was a message prominately displayed on the desk in both English and Japanese informing travelers that they needed to have special machine-readable passports to enter the U.S. The rest of the world already thinks of us as loonies. This new nonsense won't help. Especially since we're requiring *other countries* to do this as well if their citizens want to enter the U.S.

    What's the point of RFID in a passport? Is it somehow magically impossible to forge or duplicate? Can't we agree that the people who are willing to go through the effort to make counterfeit documents like this will also have the resources to handle RFID? Aren't there ways we can spend this money that might do something a little more rational towards increasing security? Like what? I dunno. But there are probably better ways to spend the millions (billions?) this will cost to implement.

  3. Microwaving passports by GeorgeMonroy · · Score: 5, Funny

    What ever do you mean? =)

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    You got the touch!
  4. Wonder how long it'll be... by Mister+White · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wonder how long until this gets whored out..Unfortunately for us, RFID chips can be read by any schmuck walking down the block with a scanner, not just the ones at the customs desk in the airport. Essentially, you may as well just pass out flyers with your personal information on them...Is this REALLY where we should be heading?

    --
    "Crime fighters fight crime. Fire fighters fight fire. What do freedom fighters fight?" -George Carlin
  5. tin foil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Glad I got the matching wallet when I bought my hat

  6. X-Ray Scanning? by forand · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So what happens to the RFID when it goes through a dozen X-Ray scans? How about just sitting in my pocket at 35k ft? Have these chips been tested to show that they will continue to work after normal wear of a passport? My passport certainly takes a beating everytime I travel: x-rays, increased radiation due to high elevation, bending, humidity, etc. I doubt all these things have been tested for.

    I really don't want to have to wait and hour and miss my flight as the prove that I am who my passport says I am just because some stupid chip failed.

  7. Slashdot editors take note: NOT RFID! by John+Harrison · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This is not RFID. The term does not occur in the article. These are 14443 contactless smart cards. I can state with certainty that the chips being used are not RFID. I will admit that there is some arguement over what the term RFID should cover, but these really fall outside of the scope. These are much more complex chip that do not simply broadcast a unique id number. I've posted on this on previous articles and /. has retracted the erroneous language. I hope that they will do so again. It really muddies the debate when "technical" sites such as this can't be bothered to use proper terminology.

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