Electronic Passports Are Worriesome

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In case you hadn't heard, all new U.S. passports are going to be equipped with microchips. The will contain and broadcast information about you to anyone who can read it. Whether that the government, identity thieves or terrorists remains to be seen. The information with include the cardholder's name, birth date, issuing office and a digital photo of the face. Other biometrics such as fingerprints may be added as well. Anyone with a machine reader will know who you are, what you look like and where you are from. They won't even need to pick your pocket.

On the latest passports, they are really disregarding a basic privacy approach and leaving out basic security methods that you would expect for such an important document. The American Civil Liberties Union has already raised alarms. An executive at a company developing a prototype for the U.S. State Department calls the international standards woefully inadequate.