FCUK Flying....

[chrisch]

Come back Orwell all is forgiven.

Guardian Unlimited Travel | News | How tagging passengers could improve airport security

Mmmmm... I'll take the car thanks.

Chris

[machiavelli]

It already happens to luggage at some US airports (LAS, maybe others). And aviation types like to refer to passengers as 'self loading freight'. But with RFID tags embedded in passports and readable from over 10 metres (I've seen it done), who needs additional tags. When more of these passports are in circulation this could be done covertly. Your browsing habits could be monitored in the shopping mall (departure lounge I mean), advertising appropriate you your profile could be displayed as you pass. And it's all being done for your safety and security. :-)

[ScubaK@]

My other half has just got one of these chipped passports. I was concerned, as I'd not heard of them 'til his passport showed up! It would appear there is very little info available about what info is accessable and how it would be used

[machiavelli]

It's an open standard (ICAO document 9303) and the datasets are well known. Currently the chip contains the biographical data, the photographs, facial biometrics derived from the photograph and the signature of the issuing authority. Future versions may contain other biometrics (which might actually work) such as fingerprints. There is scope for a subliminal channel in the signature but I can't think of any reason for an issuing authority to do that. Wonder if an unathorised party would ever find a reason to embed a subliminal channel message in anothers passport, or if it could be done without invalidating the signature.

The problem is that they are readable (and in some cases writable) over far greater distances than necessary. The protection against unauthorised access is weak. The USA line their passports with tin foil as a security measure.

Potential use/misuse could include surveillance of the passport holder. If in the future carrying an identity document were mandatory, a stream of people at a railway station or airport could be scanned and checked against an watch list. Anyone not carrying a document to be stopped as well of course. A bit like ANPR. Terrorists might find it useful to identify those whom they wish to kill/kidnap, or just to identify victims of specific nationality. This risk could have been avoided had a contact chip (like a chip and pin card) been used instead, but our governments know far better than us of course.

The risk is far greater in countries which have a culture of carrying identity documents. Germans tend to always carry their identity cards because they might be useful. The British on the other hand tend to keep passports, driving licences etc in a safe place at home because they are valuable documents we don't want to lose. This is just my experience, not the result of systematic research by the way.

Wonder what devices will be embedded in a national identity card should it ever appear.

[chrisch]

Originally Posted by ScubaK@

My other half has just got one of these chipped passports. I was concerned, as I'd not heard of them 'til his passport showed up! It would appear there is very little info available about what info is accessable and how it would be used

My missus has one too. Mine will be replaced with one after xmas. Yours in due course

RFID (radio frequency ID) has had a bad press due to the fact a German retailer mis-used it to track shoppers round the store. M&S got a bad press over some disposable razors IIRC.

From a commercial point of view its "A Good Thing" and allows tracking of products and helps combat shoplifting. Its also something that would allow you theoreticaly to keep tabs on people's behaviour to the nth degree (where they go what they buy how long they shop what brands they prefer etc etc) all commercially valuable info. (What the German retailer was collecting)

The new "biometric" passports have data taken from the photo encrypted into them. (width of eyes etc) This is a requirement from the US and not there for any other reason.

Assuming the chip can be interrogated from a distance it is theoretically possible for a person's ID to be established without their knowing. Your "biometric" details and your name could be read by a machine as you walk past.

Add a few other details - like visa status and nationality and you could, in theory, have a visual recognition machine to do away with the imigration people. Just walk out the airport.

The rub is in the last part of the previous post:
"very little info available about what info is accessable and how it would be used"

Mmmm....

Happy travelling...

Chris

[CotoChris]

Are the new passports machine washable? Often my passports gets soaked and has even the occasional wash.

[CotoChris]

We could be like dogs and cats that have a chip placed under their skin. Imagine the fun that wuld be? I bet some politicains have seriously thought about that!

[SoggyFox]

Originally Posted by CotoChris

Are the new passports machine washable? Often my passports gets soaked and has even the occasional wash.

there definitely not supposed to be put through the office laminator.

[machiavelli]

Originally Posted by CotoChris

Are the new passports machine washable? Often my passports gets soaked and has even the occasional wash.

I expect the chip would survive. The visa pages won't. Whether you could get an immigration authority to accept the chip without the rest of the passport is another matter.

[ScubaK@]

It tells you in the little booklet not to bend the passport, so I guess washing it is out too. Have done the same myself on several occasions. I was amazed how well it survived!