US Representative Seeks to Pull Spy Chips from Drivers Licenses

The Newspaper
February 21, 2012

At least one congressman and an entire state legislature want to put an end to the federal government’s drive toward embedding spy chips in the driver’s licenses of every American.

US Representative Justin Amash (R-MI) earlier this month wrote Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano urging her to undo her 2009 regulatory mandate that states implant radio frequency identification (RFID) chips in in new “enhanced” licenses.

“I am deeply concerned about the privacy implications of mandatory RFIDs in driver’s licenses,” Amash wrote. “The chips would give public and private entities an unprecedented ability to track Americans. RFIDs can be read using widely available technology, including technology contained in mobile phones, which increases the risk of identity theft. Furthermore, if RFIDs were to become ubiquitous, there is little doubt that private entities would deploy new technology to capture the chips’ data.”

Amash has the support of the entire Michigan state legislature. State House Transportation Committee Chairman Paul Opsommer (R-DeWitt) introduced a resolution in 2009 calling on Congress, the president and DHS to undo the RFID mandates.

Full article here

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