Privacy Concerns
Ted Koppel is worried about the privacy implications of the Patriot Act, RFID chips, wireless surveillance and ID theft. In this New York Times op-ed (Take My Privacy, Please!), the respected newsman reviews these concerns and calls for greater transparency and protections for our sensitive private information.

Quote of the Day
"Any power must be an enemy of mankind which enslaves the individual by terror and force, whether it arises under the Fascist or the Communist flag. All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded to the individual." --Albert Einstein

Biometric Bandwagon
Russia is also jumping on the biometric ID bandwagon (AFP - Russia to introduce biometric passports in 2007), though their new passports won't debut until 2007.

Your Papers Please
The post-9-11 environment has been a boon for security companies, especially those that sell biometric ID technology (the kind that is keyed to your body, like your fingerprints, the shape of your face, or your iris). What we have now is a race between the security needs of government and industry and terrorists who are intent on finding the flaws in the new technology. I suspect that ultimately we will find that the most secure form of ID is the kind that is redundant, placed in and on your body in various locations and using various methods. It is interesting to track these trends as they evolve, as one day one of them will become the dreaded Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18). In this latest news, the U.S. government is upgrading border security by requiring biometric identification and letting people know they should get used to it (Reuters - Get used to biometric tests, U.S. tells travelers). The U.S. is also encouraging international standards (Independent - US wants to be able to access Britons' ID cards) so that biometric data can easily be shared among the responsible authorities.

RFID Passport Security Increased
Wired News (Feds Rethinking RFID Passport) reports that in the wake of privacy concerns about the government's new RFID passports, the State Department is reconsidering a plan it previously rejected. The plan would offer privacy protection, including encryption.

Homeland Hopefuls
Wired News (Ridge Says RFID Boosts Security) reports: The former head of the Department of Homeland Security says RFID will help make the United States safer, but critics aren't so sure. I don't really think that RFID is the mark, but it could become part of the mark in some way. It certainly deserves attention, but we should also watch other emerging technologies, like digital watermarks.

Wired - Passport Chip Criticism Grows
Wired News reports, "More critics speak out against a government plan to put remotely readable chips in U.S. passports. Opponents of the plan include business travel groups, security experts and privacy advocates." I wonder why the government can't work with these groups to perfect the technology before putting it in our passports and ID cards?

RFID Cards Get Spin Treatment
According to this Wired News report, the government is playing Orwellian word games to avoid public concern over privacy and identity theft. So, just to be clear, new biometric identification plans (including passports) may use radio signals to send data, but they are not RFID. Really. Nothing to see here, move along.

AP - Europe May Start Digital Fingerprinting

RFID Search Returns

PEJ News - Technology for its own sake -- RFID Implants

ZDNet - Subcutaneous RFID tags upset privacy advocates

The Register - Feds approve human RFID implants

GovTech - FDA Approves Human RFID Tags

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