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Disabling the RFID in the New U.S. Passports

Posted by Zonk on from the very-high-tech dept.

slashchuck writes "Along with the usual Jargonwatch and Wired/Tired articles, the January issue of Wired offers a drastic method for taking care of that RFID chip in your passport. They say it's legal ... if a bit blunt. From the article: 'The best approach? Hammer time. Hitting the chip with a blunt, hard object should disable it. A nonworking RFID doesn't invalidate the passport, so you can still use it.' "

5 of 294 comments (clear)

  1. ObSneakers by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 5, Funny

    (Bishop is at a door with an electronic lock.)
    Bishop: Anybody remember how to defeat an electronic keypad?
    Mother: This might help. An old buddy of mine who was in Desert Storm sent it to me. 'Course, he was on the other side.
    Bishop: Come on. There's got to be a way around these things.
    (He listens intently to instructions via his earpiece.)
    All right, all right... This might work... Yeah. Yeah... Right. Okay. I'll give it a shot.
    (He kicks the door in.)

    --
    Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
    1. Re:ObSneakers by Dachannien · · Score: 3, Funny

      And here I thought you were going for, "My RFID is my passport. Verify me."

  2. DMCA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    They'll just say you are violating the DMCA somehow if you bust the RFID in there.

  3. Ooops by dj961 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I dropped a hammer on my passport.

  4. Re:Tinfoil Passport Cover? by triffid_98 · · Score: 4, Funny
    Really? I'm pretty sure common thieves and pickpockets have had this technology for quite some time. See that 80 year old man in Baggage Claim with the hot 20 year old arm jewelry? I detect large amounts of currency.

    I'm pretty sure that a common thief or pickpocket is not sophisticated enough to have a piece of equipment capable of detecting large amounts of currency, if that's even possible.