Follow-Up To RFIDs In Your Passports: Administration Just Says “No” To Privacy Protection Measures

So many of you responded to the post about the U.S. government mandating the embedding of RFIDs in U.S. passports in 2005, that I felt that I should provide you with this update.

According to the Washington Post today, the Bush administration has responded to the privacy concerns of privacy advocates by saying, essentially, “hell no, we’re not going to do anything to lock these puppies down.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), reviewing relevant documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, has learned that the planned passports’ RFIDs can be read electronically from as far away as 30 feet.

By anybody.

In addition to concerns about identity theft, the ACLU is concerned that it will make it even easier for terrorists to target Americans traveling abroad.

According to the Post, the administration opposes adding security measures to the new passports because… [Continued]