epic.org
EPIC FOIA Notes

EPIC FOIA Notes #14
November 20, 2006

E-Passports Less Reliable Than Traditional Passports

SNAPSHOT [click for full document]

THE DISCLOSURE
A document obtained by EPIC from the State Department reveals that 2004 government tests found passports with radio frequency identification (RFID) chips that are read 27% to 43% less successfully than the previous Machine Readable Zone technology (two lines of text printed at the bottom of the first page of a passport).

THE ISSUE
The use of RFID technology in passports.

THE BACKGROUND
The State Department has begun issuing "e-passports," with personal data embedded on RFID chips, saying they would be more secure and faster to process. Previous documents obtained by EPIC under the FOIA showed that the same tests found the chip readers "require too much attention and time on the part of the inspector."

THE SIGNIFICANCE
The test results show that e-passports are not as reliable as traditional passports. Recent reports by the Department of Homeland Security Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee and European experts also recommend against the use of RFID tags in identity documents.

EPIC FOIA Notes

Subscribe / Unsubscribe

Contact: +1 202 483 1140
x104 (FOIA Notes Hotline)


FOIA Links

EPIC Open Government
EPIC 2005 FOIA Gallery
National FOI Day
FOIA Advocates Network
PI FOIA Project
Open the Government
Freedominfo.org
Secrecy News


FOIA Publications

Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws 2006

Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws 2006


FOIA Documents

View the EPIC FOIA Gallery

About the Freedom of Information Act
The Freedom of Information Act establishes a legal right for individuals to obtain records in the possession of government agencies. The FOIA is critical for the functioning of democratic government because it helps ensure that the public is fully informed about matters of public concern. The FOIA has helped uncover fraud, waste, and abuse in the federal government. It has become particularly important in the last few years as the government has tried to keep more of its activities secret.