Privacy advocates are highly critical of the U.S. plan for embedding RFID chips (aka contactless chips) into U.S.
passports. The ACLU is one of several organizations critical of the plan to embed the remotely readable data into
passports, saying that RFID can be read and/or detected remotely.
By embedding personal information, or even the country of origin, on the RFID chip, citizens abroad could be
identified merely by scanning for RFID passports. This takes wardriving to a whole new level.
Note: I was part of a team of researchers who showed that distance "limitations" with another short range technology,
Bluetooth, were moot when working with modified
equipment. So I can see why people expect passport detection from distances greater than the manufacturers
predict.
(via BoingBoing)
This niche blog has now been merged into the The Wireless Report (www.thewirelessreport.com), which covers all things wireless.
RFID-enabled passports under increasing scrutiny
Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. According to the RFID Consumer Buzz, a quarterly study of consumer awareness, attitudes and opinions about RFID, consumers fear the government even more than retailers when asked how they feel about data being shared about them without their explicit permission. The government ranks top of the list at 66% of RFID aware consumers being concerned.
Posted at 4:18AM on Dec 19th 2005 by RFID News - Alan
3. According to the RFID Consumer Buzz, a quarterly study of consumer awareness, attitudes and opinions about RFID, consumers fear the government even more than retailers when asked how they feel about data being shared about them without their explicit permission. The government ranks top of the list at 66% of RFID aware consumers being concerned.
Posted at 4:18AM on Dec 19th 2005 by RFID News - Alan
4. An RFID chip that can be turned on an off sounds much more useful in a passport - at least compared to "naked" RFID. If the tag was inactive normally and active only when a switch was being held down (e.g., a membrane switch), I would feel more secure. Then I would only have to worry during that 0.1% of the time when I was at an immigration point and have my RFID tag turned on.
Posted at 4:18AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Steven Colby
1. What ever happen to all the hype about how the retailer will switch off the rfid chip? Some vendor's puffed smoke cloud on rfid news, " We have an on and off switch for the RFID chip to protect your civil privacy rights"
Yeah! Ok first you leave the store then the retailer will turn off the RFID chip. The next day you walk in another store,bank,school, or everywhere else where they sell and buy product. You walk in and the chip is turned right back on.
Zap!! that dang rfID.
The vendors should tell it like it is and say we want the RFID chip back on for our piracy rights. I just won't trust the cashier ( cashless check out) to turn the chip off nor kill the darn thing.
Posted at 4:18AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Rollie