E-passports have a computer chip with physical and biometric information, including facial recognition, iris scans, and fingerprints. RFID chips are scanned at border crossings for identity verification. Some countries can enter the US without a visa using an e-passport. Opponents fear remote reading of the chip, but the US Department of Homeland Security says the cover must be opened and the chip must be within 4 inches of a reader. The international logo on the cover identifies e-passports and can save time at border crossings. Old passports can still be used until expiry.
An e-passport looks similar to a regular passport, but is embedded with a computer chip that contains physical information about the traveler. The personal information recorded on the passport photo page can be accessed via the electronic chip, along with biometric information. Biometic technology includes facial recognition, iris scans and fingerprints. The United States began issuing e-passports in 2007, along with some participating countries.
A radio frequency identification (RFID) chip is embedded in the back cover of an ePassport. These chips are scanned by special readers at border crossings to verify a traveler’s identity. When an e-passport is issued, a digital photo of the applicant is implanted into the chip, which enables facial recognition to authenticate the traveller’s identity.
Travelers from certain countries can use an electronic passport, also called an e-passport, to enter the United States without a visa if they are traveling for tourism or business. A 90-day restriction applies to these visits, and a visa can be obtained if preferred. More than three dozen countries participate in the program through a visa waiver program. Some of the participating countries have joined US government officials in testing the e-passport before the program goes into effect.
US officials say the new passports are protected against identity theft and are harder to change than older paper passports. Travelers can be easily identified to protect their safety and that of other travellers. Guards are built into the system to prevent unauthorized reading of computer chips because the scanning machines are programmed with secure channels and the information is encrypted in the chip readers.
These assurances have failed to deter opponents of e-passports. They believe that radio frequency identification chips can be read remotely, endangering American citizens when visiting foreign countries. Criminals or terrorists targeting Americans could remotely read the chip information via handheld chip readers, opponents say.
To address this fear, the US Department of Homeland Security stresses that the cover of an e-passport must be opened before the chip can be read. Government officials say an e-passport must be within 4 inches (10 centimeters) of a reader device to glean information from the chip. Opponents claim the chip can be read from a distance of 60 feet (18 meters). A metal shield on the passport cover could block electronic signals from remote readers.
Electronic passports contain an international logo on the cover that identifies them. This symbol allows travelers to form in the queues where electronic readers are available at border crossings. The new passports could save time for travelers going through immigration inspections. Persons in possession of passports issued before the e-passport regulations came into force can still use them until their expiry.
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