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South Africa Rolls Out Biometric Passports

Posted by timothy on from the rfids-please dept.

volume4 writes "The South African Department of Home Affairs has begun rolling out security enhanced passports to new applicants from this week. A facility in Pretoria which prints the new passports was officially opened last week by the minister of home affairs, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. The new passports have an embedded RFID chip which stores the owner's biometric information, including personal details, a high-resolution colour photograph and fingerprint information."

3 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Mixed emotions... by acooks · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Who gives a crap about HIV? HIV infection can be prevented. The methods for prevention are known. Clinics provide free condoms to anyone. What more would you like them to do?

    The real issues are unemployment, poverty, lack of education, racist politicians repeating the injustices of the past and crime.

    The HIV infection ratio is 18.1%
    The unemployment ratio is 21.7%
    Literacy: 86.4%
    GDP per capita: 10000 USD

    https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html

  2. Jesus Christ! by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Talk about overkill. So: once it is figured out how to forge these "unforgeable" passports (as has ALWAYS happened so far), then the forgers will just be that more secure, won't they? Because they will be unquestioned.

  3. Re:Mixed emotions... by jabithew · · Score: 5, Insightful

    HIV infection can be prevented.

    By taking a shower, according to your soon-to-be-President.

    --
    All intents and purposes. Not intensive purposes.