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National I.D. Card is Coming: RFID Optional |
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Friday, 11 January 2008 |
Its official, the National ID card is coming. Besides being a massive waste of time and money, the "advanced" versions will include RFID technology.
What is RFID? Well, its basically a small radio
tansmitter that has been used to track the location & ownership of
consumer goods and livestock. Sensors will be able to read a unique identifier code off the card, and this code can be entered into a database where it will be linked to the cardholder's name, picture, address, birthdate, and social
security number. The range of the transmission is
dependent on the power supply, so assuming the card is passive RFID, it will not be activated unless it is near a sensor. The document linked above indicates that the government uses "proximity" RFID that broadcasts 20-30 feet.
Active RFID chips can broadcast data as far as 1,500 feet - with enough
sensors, the government could always know where that ID is. All
Real IDs that are compatible with the Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative (WHTI) will have RFID chips included, but non-WHTI cards
will be allowed to go without them if "RFID is not available." The
advantage for WHTI card-holders is theoretically faster processing when
entering or leaving the country. The
Department of Homeland Security's "Final Ruling" on the Real ID project
was only released today and what I've seen so far isn't heavy on
technical details. I will try to post updates as they become available.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 April 2008 )
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