All passports issued after 1/1/07 will have RFID chips

[eridani]

But you can do something about them.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/start.html?pg=9

All passports issued by the US State Department after January 1 will have always-on radio frequency identification chips, making it easy for officials – and hackers – to grab your personal stats. Getting paranoid about strangers slurping up your identity? Here’s what you can do about it. But be careful – tampering with a passport is punishable by 25 years
in prison. Not to mention the “special” customs search, with rubber gloves. Bon voyage!

1) RFID-tagged passports have a distinctive logo on the front cover; the chip is embedded in the back.

2) Sorry, “accidentally” leaving your passport in the jeans you just put in the washer won’t work. You’re more likely to ruin the passport itself than the chip.

3) Forget about nuking it in the microwave – the chip could burst into flames, leaving telltale scorch marks. Besides, have you ever smelled burnt passport?

4) The best approach? Hammer time. Hitting the chip with a blunt, hard object should disable it. A nonworking RFID doesn’t invalidate the passport, so you can still use it.

– Jenna Wortham

[maddezmom]

1. I just got my kids passport updated...and they look exactly the same

:shrug: and the issue date is Jan 6th

[Heidi]

4. Were you able to do everything by mail?

My passport is good for a few more years, but I need to get it updated with my married name, and I _really_ don't want to fly to Berne to get it done. x(

[maddezmom]

7. no we had to go the the consulate with the kids in London because they are minors

(or under 14...can't remember)it's was a long morning.They're passports are only valid for 5yrs until they are 14. So we'll have to do again if we're living abroad. But I think if you're an adult you can do it by mail. I'll ask Kev when he gets home, I only have another year and a half left on mine.

[Divine Discontent]

2. wow

that is quite interesting... if I get one soon, I will consider talking to some scholars about it first though...



www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <<-- antibush prodem stickers/shirts

[LiberalVoice]

3. Got mine on Dec 23rd

Good til 2016 :P

[SoCalDem]

5. The information is already in a database, so why not just carry

it inside a passport case with heavy duty foil as a lining?
That would prevent a "random" sensor , if you are worried about that sort of thing, but when you are face to face with a customs agent, they "know" everything about you:)

[eridani]

10. I can't stop identity thieves from hacking the database--

---but I can damned well stop them from sneaking a peek when I unwrap the sucker for in front of a customs agent.

[sam sarrha]

6. the way this paranoid wet brain alcoholic is go'n we'll all have a chip up our butt's soon

[Eurobabe]

8. Thanks stars I renewed mine in 4/06- it's good until 2016

Two more years of Asshat's war bloviations and who knows if ANYONE will be around to use it? :mad:

[B Calm]

9. a rubber mallet should do the trick

[bdamomma]

11. I am glad I had mine renewed about 2 years ago.