State Dept. Revising RFID Passport Plans

U.S. State Department deputy assistant secretary for passport services Frank Moss last night asserted that proposed radio frequency identification technology for passports will not be rolled out until privacy and security issues are addressed and identity theft vulnerabilities are overcome.

Addressing concerns voiced by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives via telephone during the opening general session in Vancouver, Moss said information contained in a 64-kilobyte chip installed in passports would be encrypted and accessible only when passport booklets are open, before an official rollout. Additionally, Moss said passports would contain "anti-skimming technology," which he said would keep information safe from theft. "No U.S. passport will be issued until we've addressed the issues potential risks," he said.

Contrary to previous statements, the State Department last week acknowledged that information contained in passports, including name, photo, passport number and date of birth, could be read from beyond a distance of 10 centimeters. Some sources, according to an ACTE statement released this morning, said RFID chips could be read from as far as 30 feet. Yet, Moss said the State Department is developing means to resolve such issues.

"We will include anti-skimming technology into the passport so that the passport cannot be read unless the book is open or partially open," he said. "The idea that you can have the book laying on your night table at night, let alone be in your pocket, and be read, we think we can conclusively demonstrate that will not happen. However, we know this is as much an issue of public opinion and public concern as it is of physics."

ACTE president Greeley Koch said association members have been nearly unanimously against the passport modifications and still have concerns about the value of RFID passports. While the State Department has claimed new passport technology could speed travelers through customs and combat fraud, Koch said such assertions have not been proven.

"Until the technology is proven, we're skeptical," Koch said. "We've heard the conflicting statements; now we need the proof that the technology can be secured and made foolproof. Many of our members are simply asking, 'Why?' "

The State Department has slated a tentative launch of the passports for this summer, which ACTE officials said was unrealistic. "I don't see how the State Department can possibly get all this accomplished for a summer launch," Koch said.