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RFID Passports: a Special Concern
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A number of countries have begun to embed RFID devices in new biometric passports, to facilitate efficient machine reading of personal data. The RFID-enabled passport uniquely identifies its holder, and in the proposal currently under consideration, will also include a variety of other personal information. This could greatly simplify some of the abuses of RFID technology, such as reading of data like a person's nationality. For example, a mugger operating near an airport could target victims who have arrived from wealthy countries, or a terrorist could design a bomb which functioned when approached by persons from a particular country.
The US State Department initially rejected these concerns on the grounds that they believed the chips could only be read from a distance of 10 cm (4 in). In face of a clear demonstration that special equipment can read the test passports from 10 m (33 feet) away, the proposal was reviewed. Since October, 2006, many countries began issuing RFID passports.
Countries with RFID Passports
The following countries are already issuing RFID passports:
| Country | Since |
|---|---|
| Australia | October, 2006 |
| Austria | June, 2006 |
| Belgium | October, 2004 |
| Denmark | August, 2006 |
| Finland | August, 2006 |
| France | April, 2006 |
| Germany | November, 2005 |
| Greece | August, 2006 |
| Iceland | May, 2006 |
| Ireland | October, 2006 |
| Italy | October, 2006 |
| Lithuania | August, 2006 |
| Netherlands | August, 2006 |
| Poland | August, 2006 |
| Portugal | August, 2006 |
| Singapore | August, 2006 |
| Slovenia | August, 2006 |
| Sweden | October, 2005 |
| UK | April, 2006 |
| USA | October, 2006 |
Protect Your Data
In light of this, are you convinced that a data thief will not be able to remotely swipe your personal information while you are enjoying your time abroad? Click for a piece of mind.
You can read more about biometric RFID passports here.