In response to a comment I made about the book I'm reading ("Tripping to Somewhere" for the YA diversity book club) ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
eor looked up some info on Wiki regarding RFID chips: The US State Department initially stated the chips could only be read from a distance of 10 cm (4 in), but after widespread criticism and a clear demonstration that special equipment can read the test passports from 10 meters (33 ft) away, the passports were designed to incorporate a thin metal lining to make it more difficult for unauthorized readers to "skim" information when the passport is closed.
So if someone is 30 feet away from where the passports are being read they can steal everyone's information. Delightul. So I thought it would be best to disable the RFID tag in a passport by sticking it in the microwave, right? Except, he says, the U.S. gov't has made that illegal, tampering with a passport. "The government dealt with people's privacy concerns by making it illegal to have privacy concerns." Heh.
eor looked up some info on Wiki regarding RFID chips: The US State Department initially stated the chips could only be read from a distance of 10 cm (4 in), but after widespread criticism and a clear demonstration that special equipment can read the test passports from 10 meters (33 ft) away, the passports were designed to incorporate a thin metal lining to make it more difficult for unauthorized readers to "skim" information when the passport is closed. So if someone is 30 feet away from where the passports are being read they can steal everyone's information. Delightul. So I thought it would be best to disable the RFID tag in a passport by sticking it in the microwave, right? Except, he says, the U.S. gov't has made that illegal, tampering with a passport. "The government dealt with people's privacy concerns by making it illegal to have privacy concerns." Heh.