RFID Chips in Passports

Big Brother never stops finding new ways to keep an eye on us. The State Department just came out with an announcement that beginning in early 2006, all passports will contain a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, which will hold personal information about the passport holder (link here). These RFID chips can be scanned remotely and will include information such as the name, nationality, gender, place and date of birth, and a digital photo of the holder. The new passports are said by the State Department to increase security.

Just like the de facto national ID card just introduced, not only will this new intrusion into privacy do little or nothing to stop illicit production of fake ID's, it will also bring new dangers with it. RFID chips are cheap and getting cheaper, and are easy to program -- there is nothing to say that ID fakers will not be capable of easily duplicating the RFID chips in their fake passports. Just like the national ID card, which in reality is no harder to duplicate than most state ID's, these new passports will do little to increase security.

At the same time, these cards will allow anyone with an RFID scanner to remotely access personal information about the cardholder, and could be used to track people's movements. Terrorists and kidnappers will be able to easily identify Americans abroad using scanners, and anyone with a scanner will be able to instantly learn sensitive personal information.

The most striking danger, though, is the potential for government abuse of these passports. The RFID cards could be used to track political opponents, dissidents, and anyone else who is deemed a threat by a government official, so long as a person has their passport in their possession. In the coming years, the government could install scanners throughout busy cities such as New York for minimal cost, and learn who is going where, and when. Also look for RFID chips to be put into driver's licenses eventually. The federal government has already claimed the right to include RFID chips in national ID's, and people are required to carry these ID's with them at least whenever they drive, usually all the time.

The State Department claims a number of security precautions intended to keep the information on the RFID cards secure, however resourceful hackers will doubtless find ways around these protections. Also, knowing the intricacies of the RFID cards' protections, the government could easily develop ways to quietly circumvent these "protections" without raising suspicions, if they deem that doing so is in their interests.

The State Department, after the proposal of RFID use in February, received 2,335 comments, 98% of which were negative. Of course, the State Department proceeded with the program despite the overwhelming opposition to the idea. Democracy in action...