The 21st century has sparked extraordinary levels of new found technology which has garnished new items from revolutionary computers to remote monitoring equipment. But one particular item has caught my eye, Radio Frequency ID (RFID) chips. Such technology has been around for decades but it was not until the past several years, that RFID chips have been implemented on various personal documents such as passports, drivers' licenses, and electronic toll emitters. RFID chips work by emitting a small frequency towards an RFID reader which in turn decrypts the information available to a nearby computer coded for such information. This new way of monitoring gained enormous backing by the U.S. government, particularly during the Bush administration. It was not until October of 2006, when President Bush announced that all U.S. passports will bear an RFID chip, essentially wirelessly transmitting personal information such as name, age, gender, address, date of birth, and a photograph. In addition, several states have slowly begun implementing RFID chips into driver's licenses. What brought forth this new form of monitoring? 
RFID chips are intended to expand on the convenience of citizens as well as government officials who simply need a quicker and much more efficient way to identify an individual when needed. There are two types of RFID chips, active and passive. Active chips emit information consistently and have a greater range for the acquisition of data, whereas passive chips emit information but such information is stored on a database where the information may be decoded. But what about the security measures for such personal information? Proponents argue that such chips are encrypted with state of the art technology which aids in preventing potential hackers from swiping such personal information. However, hackers have still found their way into such personal information.
To potentially ease citizen worry, the Bush administration issued a statement back in 2006 stating "the new passports will be outfitted with anti-skimming material in the front cover to mitigate the threat of the information being surreptitiously scanned from afar."
What exactly is anti-skimming material? well, according to the Bush administration, the "anti-skimming material" is a physical component which shields the frequency from the RFID chip whenever the passport cover is closed. But what about drivers' licenses?
While there are clearly concerns over privacy matters regarding RFID chips, there are quite a few benefits to them as well. RFID chips are actually implanted into vehicles, in which alarms may be remotely deactivated as well as if the vehicle were to get stolen, there is a greater possibility of locating the vehicle; inventory of merchandise to let stores know exactly what is selling and what may need to be shifted; credit cards, many individuals probably are not aware that the swipe free convenience incorporates an RFID chip; animal tracking; as well as human implants, which was initially experimented on by Kevin Warwick, a British professor of cybernetics in 1998.
It is currently unclear on where the RFID chips will lead to, as the door is currently wide 
open.
Unfortunately, there is no indicator on when an individual is being "scanned" which eliminates consent but what about if there is no probable cause or need to scan? Does that indicate a strong vulnerability among those with RFID chips on their personal documents? Maybe, it is difficult to assess without proper empirical evidence suggesting one way or the other. If such instances arise, is that essentially the government intending to act like "Big Brother"? Is our country ready for such overwhelming technology that it may compromise citizens' personal liberties and freedoms? Let's hope not.
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http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/raskin/447
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/52270.html?wlc=1253601801
http://news.cnet.com/Passports-to-get-RFID-chip-implants/2100-7348_3-5913644.html
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