By Steve Ranger, 21 February 2006 14:15
NEWS
The first ePassports, which feature personal information stored on a computer chip, have been issued.
According to the Home Office, ePassports are now being issued by the Foreign Office in Washington, and stocks are being built up for other offices, with the public likely to start getting them from April.
The new, more secure passports will be rolled out gradually until the end of the summer. In the early stages of the change-over, some people will receive a new biometric passport, while others will receive an existing digital passport.
The new passports contain a chip which holds a facial biometric.
Existing passports remain valid until their expiry date and holders do not need to exchange them for biometric passports.
The Home Office told silicon.com the rollout will be completed by the "end of the summer as planned - well in advance of the US visa waiver deadline in October".
Countries that are part of the US visa waiver scheme must comply with new International Aviation Organisation standards and begin issuing biometric passports incorporating a facial image by October 2006 to remain in the scheme.
Other biometrics such as fingerprints and iris scans may be added to the passport at a later date. From the end of 2006, first-time adult passport applicants will also have to attend an interview to confirm their identity.
Click here to see photos of the new passport and chip.
Comments
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1. anonymous
Having just come back from overseas travels; just how strong is this chip?
The way some of the immigration officials smack down their entry and exit stamps on my passpert, if I had an ePassport I quite honestly can't see the chip lasting that long.
I suppose the Home Office did think to check this rather than just checking that the chip worked.
2. Mike Richards
So is there a shield in the cover and encryption in the data to prevent snoopers from getting hold of personal data?
And please tell me it isn't quite so pink in real life!
3. UK Resident
Just wondering how facial features thing will work. I go on an annual trip to some country for a few weeks and becoz the food is absolutely delicious there I put on quote a bit of weight. This may show up on my face more than anywhere else. I suppose the facial recognition thing would fail even without any deliberate masks. I suppose there would have to be a combination of the 3 biometric tests Facial, Fingerprint and Iris scans with certains cutoff levels set for a combined scan result.
4. WORRIED RESIDENT
Don't worry about the poxy chip mate. My MAIN WORRY would be about my finger, eyes and even head being amputated by thugs to gain entry to a country as ME.
I wonder how much have policy makers thought it thru. They are trying to protect the citizens by putting them into more danger of being attacked. The one thing they are trying to protect is the same thing they are risking - CITIZENS.