[Politech] U.S. passports to receive RFID implants starting in October 2006 [priv]

From: Declan McCullagh (declan@private)
Date: Tue Oct 25 2005 - 13:23:23 PDT


Text of regulations:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-21284.htm

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http://news.com.com/Passports+to+get+RFID+chip+implants/2100-7348_3-5913644.html?tag=nefd.top

Passports to get RFID chip implants
October 25, 2005, 12:12 PM PDT

All U.S. passports will be implanted with remotely-readable computer 
chips starting in October 2006, the Bush administration has announced.

Sweeping new State Department regulations issued Tuesday say that 
passports issued after that time will have tiny radio frequency ID 
(RFID) chips that can transmit personal information including the name, 
nationality, sex, date of birth, place of birth and digitized photograph 
of the passport holder. Eventually, the government contemplates adding 
additional digitized data such as "fingerprints or iris scans."

Over the last year, opposition to the idea of implanting RFID chips in 
passports has grown amidst worries that identity thieves could snatch 
personal information out of the air simply by aiming a high-powered 
antenna at a person or a vehicle carrying a passport. Out of the 2,335 
comments on the plan that were received by the State Department this 
year, 98.5 percent were negative. The objections mostly focused on 
security and privacy concerns.

[...remainder snipped...]
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