New ID Scanners at Borders Raise Privacy Alarm

New ID Scanners at Borders Raise Privacy Alarm

The federal government has already deployed new detection machines that can scan citizens without their knowledge from as far as 50 feet away and "read" their personal documents such as passports or driver's licenses.


The Homeland Security Department touts the high-tech devices as increasing security at border crossings, but privacy advocates are raising all sorts of red flags.


The new machines, which read one's personal information right through a wallet or purse, do so without consent or a warrant and may set a worrisome precedent.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.themonitor.com

This new technology is now installed at (more widespread use by June 2009) or will soon be at five border crossings: Blaine, Wash.; Buffalo; Detroit; Nogales, Ariz.; and San Ysidro, Calif.

Radio Frequency Identification devices (RFID) will now allow officials to read from a distance of 50 feet any passports, pass cards, and driver's licenses that contain special chips with personal information, this being so sensitive that, even before a vehicle pulls up at a border checkpoint, agents already will have on their computer screen the personal data of the passengers, including each person's name, date of birth, nationality, passport or ID number, and even a digitized photo.

Terrorists or other criminals would easily be able to steal anyone's personal information off the ID cards by using these RFID machines in a process called "skimming" allowing them to access and to read one's personal information from as far away as 50 feet!




(visit the link for the full news article)

Sorry, meant to add this link regarding border scanners.

www.newsmax.com..." target="_blank" class="postlink">www.newsmax.com... r/privacy_security_terror/2008/12/01/156958.html?s=al&promo_code=725A-1

It’s pointless as most passports with the chip (including USA passports) have the Basic Access Control (BAC) on it. This mechanism is intended to ensure that the owner of a passport can decide who can read the electronic contents of the passport.

Also a lot of countries biometric passports also have the cover coated so that it cannot be read with out the passport actually being open.

Eg of the Irish passport: "To prevent unauthorised parties remotely accessing the information stored in the RFID biometric chip, the machine readable zone of the identity page must be scanned to unlock it. This safeguard is known as Basic Access Control."

So while they have the technology to read the chips from 50 feet away, most wont be able to witout already knowing some of the information first, reading the bio page or having the passport open.

Mikey



[edit on 2/12/2008 by Mikey84]

I bet you somebody will find a way to beat the system.

I am honest believer that every time a new security technology is released an opponent of that technology is right around the corner. Both probably made by the same company to get rich from both ends.

Originally posted by jam321
I bet you somebody will find a way to beat the system.

I am honest believer that every time a new security technology is released an opponent of that technology is right around the corner. Both probably made by the same company to get rich from both ends.

Oh I agree, it's just like Credit Cards with chip and pin or internet banking, no matter what you do, someone will eventually beat it.

But I don't think this scanning is really any of a privacy concern simply because you'll have to show your passport anyway if you want to leave the country and as said above, they cannot actually access it without you knowing.

Mikey