January 03, 2008

Electronic Passport Cards Include Long-Range, Insecure Technology

The federal government will soon offer passport cards equipped with electronic data chips to U.S. citizens who travel frequently between the United States and Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. The cards can be read wirelessly from 20 feet, offering convenience to travelers but raising security and privacy concerns about the possibility of data being intercepted. Last year, the Government Accountability Office reviewed technology similar to that used in the passport cards. The report found low read rates and said the technology should be used only to track goods, not to identify people.

Electronic Passports Raise Privacy Issues, Washington Post, January 1, 2008.