Documents Show U.S. Ignored Security and Privacy Warnings On Passports; Decisions Will Leave Americans Vulnerable to Violence, ID Theft, ACLU Says

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The Bush Administration spurned warnings by privacy and security experts and foreign governments when pushing new remotely readable biometric passports, according to State Department documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union. Because of the U.S. action, passports issued to Americans in coming years will contain Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips that will broadcast all the personal information on a passport to anyone who comes within range with an RFID reader.

"What the documents show is that the U.S. government was repeatedly told that these passports would pose significant threats to our privacy and safety,"said Barry Steinhardt, Director of the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Program. "Yet the US chose to use all of its power to sweep aside the objections raised by our allies and force through a standard that leaves Americans vulnerable to identity thieves and terrorists."

There are ways to make these more secure.

I am sure identity theft is high on the Bush administration's list of things to get going on right away.

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