Emergent Chaos

According to documents (pdf) obtained by EPIC under the Freedom of Information Act, a government report found significant problems with new hi-tech passports. Tests conducted last year revealed that "contactless" RFID passports impede the inspection process. At a meeting of a Privacy Advisory Committee today in Washington, EPIC urged (pdf) the Department of Homeland Security to abandon the use of RFID technology in E-Passports and the US-VISIT program. For more information, see EPIC's RFID and US-VISIT pages.

In previous coverage ("Ed Felten on Passports" and "RFID Kills") commenters said that the RFID passports would speed the inspection process. Oops. It seems the State department is out of arguments.