ACTE Raises Objection To Passport "Enhancement"

The Association of Corporate Travel Executives today announced its opposition to a controversial proposal by the U.S. Department of State to implant radio frequency identification transmitters in both American and foreign passports as part of its biometric passport initiative.

The new passports, which the State Department intends to roll out in the next six months, will be embedded with "passive" electronic tags containing biographical traveler data. Some security experts argue that the chip's signal, which can be detected up to several yards, may identify U.S. citizens as targets abroad and make travelers more vulnerable to identity theft at home.

"The big issue is what's called contact versus contactless technology," said Bruce McIndoe, CEO of IJet Travel Risk Management. "Most privacy experts would prefer that the government be using contact technology, smart card technology where the information is embedded on a chip. You put the card into a reader, the information is encrypted on that chip and they pull the information off. So when you're walking around, unless you have physical contact with that card, you can't get your information off."

Opponents of the program, including ACTE and the Business Travel Coalition, which earlier this week issued similar objections, called on the travel community to file comments with the State Department before the period of public commentary on the matter expires on April 4.

"There is no doubt that RIFD technology can be shielded or coded in some way," said ACTE president Greeley Koch in a statement. "But it is once again developing a false reliance on technology. A mass-produced, cheap, electronic identification system that is bound to be lost or stolen in large quantities is bound to be defeated."

Originally developed for inventory and supply management, RIFD technology, McIndoe said, never was intended to be used for security purposes. With concerns ranging from pickpocketing and petty theft to kidnapping and terrorism, the real benefits of implementing such technology are coming under increased scrutiny in this final week before the State Department's deadline for public commentary expires.

"Essentially you're walking around broadcasting 'it's me, it's me, it's me.' People are saying that's stupid, and from a security perspective, I absolutely agree," McIndoe said. "We see no enhanced benefit beyond the optical encoding that already exists on passports, where they run it through the little scanner and it pulls the information into the reader. The inspector needs to physically inspect the document anyway to make sure it hasn't been tampered with or stolen, so the concept of this being an E-ZPass where you can walk through border control is a pipe dream."

McIndoe also encouraged members of the corporate travel community to offer comment on the issue to the State Department and industry organizations. "From a corporation's perspective, they should be adding their voice to this chorus and not just rolling over and saying this is a fait accompli." On a more pragmatic note, said McIndoe, "My recommendation to people is to hurry up and get your passports renewed. Typically, then, it's a 10- or 15-year renewal period, and hopefully in that time the government will have gotten its act together and you won't have to worry about this."