Murphy's Law - US Govt. caught again

[Dark Matter]

For those of you who don't know (and I am sure most of you do) Murphy's Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

If you drop a piece of buttered bread, it always falls butter side down, UNLESS you deliberately drop it to prove Murphy's Law, in which it won't!

The US is about to bring in chipped passports that BROADCAST (on command) an individual's name, address and digital photo to a computerized reader.

Identity theft is the fastest rising white collar crime in the UK. I expect that the USA also suffers from it. How long do you think it will take criminals to get hold of a reader to snatch your identity as pass through an airport?

Source

New U.S. passports will soon be read remotely at borders around the world, thanks to embedded chips that will broadcast on command an individual's name, address and digital photo to a computerized reader.

The State Department hopes the addition of the chips, which employ radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology, will make passports more secure and harder to forge, according to spokeswoman Kelly Shannon.

"The reason we are doing this is that it simply makes passports more secure," Shannon said. "It's yet another layer beyond the security features we currently use to ensure the bearer is the person who was issued the passport originally."

But civil libertarians and some technologists say the chips are actually a boon to identity thieves, stalkers and commercial data collectors, since anyone with the proper reader can download a person's biographical information and photo from several feet away.

"Even if they wanted to store this info in a chip, why have a chip that can be read remotely?" asked Barry Steinhardt, who directs the American Civil Liberty Union's Technology and Liberty program. "Why not require the passport be brought in contact with a reader so that the passport holder would know it had been captured? Americans in the know will be wrapping their passports in aluminum foil."

...

The RFID passport works like a high-tech version of the children's game "Marco Polo." A reader speaks out the equivalent of "Marco" on a designated frequency. The chip then channels that radio energy and echoes back with an answer.

But instead of simply saying "Polo," the 64 Kb chip will say the passport holder's name, address, date and place of birth, and send along a digital photograph.

There's more info if you click the link. I only pasted the first few paragraphs.

[The nameles one]

I'd say 2 weeks after the chips will be in widespread use. It will happen very fast anyways.

[Deathwing]

Wait... you're questioning the U.S government? I'll see you in Guantanamo Bay, you goddamn terrorist. Next you'll be saying that harassing foreign journalists is wrong.

[DrunkCajun]

Sounds like a business opportunity if I've ever heard of one. Lead-lined passport holders?

"Protect yourself from identity theft! Over 200,000 US business travellers had their information stolen from them RIGHT FROM THEIR OWN PASSPORTS!!! *dramatic/"I can't believe that" music* Did you know that the US Government installs microchip transmitters in your passports in order to more easily read your information at customs? That might make it faster for them, but it also makes it faster for the criminals. *cue shot of sketchy looking guy peering around corners in airports* The technology has been pirated, allowing any common thief access to your passport number, where you've been, and your address and personal information!! Protect yourself now before its too late! For $19.95 you can have the cutting edge in business travel technology, our special lead-lined, pocket sized Passport Protector! Designed especially for the businessman or woman by Italian designers, this leather bound case goes great with any briefcase or travel bag! It conviniently holds your credit cards, drivers license, and your billfold! Never leave home without it again! Order now and we'll send you your choice of brown, navy blue, or black, and if you call in the next 5 minutes, we'll send you our FREE lead-lined, leatherbound matching business card holder, a $40 value! That's our designer patented Passport Protector AND our special matching business card holder, all for the low low price of $19.95. Order now and protect yourself and your family forever!"

[Geeno]

Oh my god.

Im going to read this article one more time before I say anything...

edit: Two words:

First word: one syllable

Second word: Two syllables.

Clue: he may be a member of your family.

[The nameles one]

I read the article... Seems unhealthy to me... All your personal data in a small chip sounds very dangerous in the hands of criminals.

[LunarSolaris]

I'm gonna buy one of them lead-lined passport protectors that DrunkCajun talks about...

[theBlackKnight]

*will never leave the country civilian style again*

[The nameles one]

*will never leave the country civilian style again*

[SARCASM]Or even better; Dont leave the contry! I dont want any of you americans spreading around you know. [/SARCASM]

[dantose]

so what are they going to do with your name, address and picture that they couldn't do with a phone book and a digital camera?

They can't really do much of anything with out your social anyway.