Passport Chip Could Attract High-Tech Muggers

Orangez writes "Wired.com reports that 'business travel groups, security experts and privacy advocates are looking to derail a government plan to insert remotely readable chips in American passports, calling the chips homing devices for high-tech muggers, identity thieves and even terrorists.' and that 'The 64-KB chips will include the information from the photo page of the passport, including name, date of birth and a digitized form of the passport picture.'"

Tin foil wrapper

[Clay Pigeon -TPF-VS-]

Someone is going to need a faraday cage.

why are travellers worried?

[drunken dash]

If they're not terrorists, and have nothing to hide, why are they so worried about being tracked? If anything, if your passport is stolen, wouldn't you rather have the chip in there to track it?

Big deal.

[torpor]

High tech crooks already have money-sniffing machines.

C'mon, is there nothing we shouldn't be scared of in the known Universe, I mean .. everything is 'out to get us', you know. Decay is the natural order.

Its like, we have to be reminded of this, every single time someone has an axe to grind.

Sounds like the next big thing...

[Uptown Joe]

From the folks that brought us the hacked SideKicks of Fred Durst and Paris Hilton...

Not that I have any naked pictures on my passport chip... yet.

Identity

[netrage_is_bad]

like someone would benefit from stealing my Identity. They would just inherit my debt.

I guess that's one more reason to get a passport

Re:Identity

[bonch]

Imagine a whole underground culture of identity-trading, where people become other people for a vacation. I don't want to be me this weekend!

Re:Aus Passe

[pixelpusher220]

"Because 64K of memory should be enough for anybody"

Thank you...I'm here all week! (mostly due to pesky bosses)

Re:This is a dupe - no, wait ...

[ALeavitt]

Well, if you're the average /.er, it's sitting right there in your right hand.

Re:Blame the terrorists.

[__int64]

YES! Because terrorist are everywhere! They are outside your house, they are in the mall, they are living next door to you, and their going to GET You. Unless you give your mind and soul to the only one who can help, Big Government. Big Government can help you; He'll save you from all these nasty nasty terrorists. You just have to unquestionably follow him, do as he says blindly, and never fall out of line, because then you'll be one.

Because remember, they're everywhere. They're anyone, anyone who doesn't really believe in Big Government, anyone who is or thinks different than you, and especially anyone who is critical of Big Government!

And remember to do your part citizens in stopping these nasties! If you ever see anyone exhibiting these actions, don't forget to notify the police or the FBI so Big Government can help them.

Okay, I might as well post it...

[feloneous cat]

I don't get it. I mean, they State Dept. could easily have a reader connected to a network which passes along some hash which is stored on the card, to a server which would verify what passport they should be looking at. Slow? Wtf kind of technology are they using where 64K of stuff would take any time?

Think "Windows ME".

Remember, this is the U.S. Gov.

Re:hmm...

[cosmo7]

Here's the schema they're using:

255 bytes: First name
1 byte: Middle initial
255 bytes: Surname
1 bit: Boolean true if user checked the 'Member of Terrorist Group' checkbox
7 bits: CIA National Boxcutter Purchase Monitoring flags
16KB: ASCII-art depiction of tubgirl courtesy of frustrated intern
16KB: Excerpts from Book of Revelation
1 byte: Flags for previous visits to Iran / Cuba / North Korea / Syria / Lebanon / Pakistan / Libya / Yavin
30KB: XML representation of above flags

Re:Tin foil wrapper

[Anonymous Coward]

When I worked as a forest fire fighter, we were all issued tinfoil tents. We called them shake-n-bakes since they were only to be used in an emergency if you got caught in a fire. Then you would shake it out, get in, and bake. The material reflected, theoretically, enough heat to save you if the fire burned over you quickly enough. Just glad I never had to use it.

I hate you

[Safety Cap]

It wouldn't matter if planes were crashed into building every day, it is no reason to take away freedom.

Why do you hate America?

If you really loved America, you would know that only terrorists fear having their freedoms taken away. Real, law-abiding, god-fearing, red state Americans have nothing to hide!!!!!!!!one one