Comments on: Canada, Mexico travel cards under privacy attack

Federal ID cards expected to be issued to frequent border-crossers draw fire over miniature radio chips readable from afar.

[Marcus Westrup]

Suggestions for this Card:

First, spend the extra few cents and make these "cards" into full fledge security devices. If they are good enough for the border, why not airports and police checks?
Second, they should stay inactive until something specific is done - perhaps a pressure switch needs to be pressed.
Last, they should never broadcast anything without receiving a valid authentication code from the checkpoint (this is to reduce abuse by third parties).

[Dalkorian]

point missed

I fear you totally missed the point here Marcus.

THIS IS COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY NOT NECESSARY AND WILL
DO *NOTHING* TO INCREASE SECURITY!!!

9-11 happened because Bush wanted it to. It gave him a reason
to first invade Afghanistan, then his true target - Iraq. It made
the general population STUPID enough to think that their
liberties, guaranteed in the Constitution, were the root of the
problem.

In case you missed *that* point, yes the terrorists have already
"won". Bush has done everything in his power to ensure that.

If we keep along this same path laid out by the Bush
administration, the next government catchphrase will be an old
one ...

PAPERS PLEASE!!!

[XENON_PLASMA]

'Nother Idea...But Won't Happen Anytime Soon

Instead of wasting billions of dollars on all sides with forcing citizens to obtain passports, Why doesn't the US annexiate both Canada and Mexico (Sort of become the USNA: United States of North America) That way all ID/Passports are under one set of regulations instead of multiple(and possibly counterproductive.) sets of regulations. ;)

[XENON_PLASMA]

'Nother Idea...But Won't Happen Anytime Soon

Instead of wasting billions of dollars on all sides with forcing citizens to obtain passports, Why doesn't the US annexiate both Canada and Mexico (Sort of become the USNA: United States of North America) That way all ID/Passports are under one set of regulations instead of multiple(and possibly counterproductive.) sets of regulations. ;)

[ambigous]

Annexate

"Why doesn't the US annexiate both Canada and Mexico ...?"

Aside from the obvious answer that Canada and Mexico are soverign nations, it might have something to do with how the current (Bush)administration apparently deems Canada and Mexico too much of a security risk to even negotiate civily with over this - much let alone "annexate", which brings us right back to the underlying reason that either basic passports or these RFID cards will be required by U.S. citizens to re-enter the country.

[rfidabc]

RFID private issues

On the 30th of September this year, a new compliance directive will come into force from the Payment Card Industry (PCI) that will affect each and every business that accepts credit cards around the globe, including those here in Thailand. Among the directives is a requirement for merchants to secure their networks, both wired and wireless, and to audit their compliance at least once every three months.

See more: http://www.rfidglobal.org/news/2007_8/200708161459224670.html

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