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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.' "

6 of 294 comments (clear)

  1. No Hurry by JusticeISaid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Great idea! Anything else I can do to slow down my passage through Immigration and Customs after a long flight? I'm always looking for ideas.

    1. Re:No Hurry by Qzukk · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yeah, because stopping you, scanning your passport, then letting you on through was SO much faster than stopping you, sliding your passport through a stripe reader, and letting you through.

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
    2. Re:No Hurry by iron-kurton · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Here's an idea: not giving up your civil liberties for the sake of convenience and national security (to be distinguished from ACTUAL security). What's really funny about your statement is that 5 years ago, people like you were in front of news cameras at the airline check-in saying "we don't mind waiting in line if it makes us more secure." Now, 5 years later, even after we have all established that airport security is a joke, instead of coming up with a more efficient screening method, we spent our resources developing YET another new technology full of holes.

      My point is, your anger at the poster and the method of destroying the chips is a bit misdirected -- if you really want to spend less time at security checkpoints and Immigration and Customs, you should lobby for improving the methods currently in place. Besides, like someone who replied to your post already said, there really is no speed improvement in putting your passport through a barcode reader or waving it in front of an RFID reader. However, there is a relative security difference, and given the choice, I would take the former.

      --
      Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine -- Robert C. Gallagher
  2. They do NOT say it's legal by torstenvl · · Score: 4, Insightful

    FTFA: "But be careful - tampering with a passport is punishable by 25 years in prison."

    Also, only TFA works. The other links are bogus.

  3. It's like wearing a big name tag... by paladinwannabe2 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That broadcasts your information. This makes it so much easier to stalk people you've just met! Of course, if I was a criminal I'd just use this to make a list of people going on a nice long overseas flight... plenty of time to stop by their house and help myself to a few things.

    --
    You are reading a copy of my copyrighted post.
  4. Taking bets... by Junior+J.+Junior+III · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How long until they make hammer possession a felony?

    --
    You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!