Originally Posted by
Swissaire
Just for helpful clarification, the RFID chip in the new biometric passports does not contain any meaningful data. It does contain a locator number for the government file locator on the passport from the central government computer.
If one is in line to be processed by customs officials, it identifies that passport, and "brings up " the pertinent file information for the customs computer, when one is processed.
Uh, no. The RFID chip in passport books for any country that issues them contains all of the information on the data page of the passport, including the photo, in unencrypted format. It does have a digital signature, so that someone reading the data can verify that it is genuine and has not been altered. But this can be done offline with the issuing agency's published public keys.
The RFID chip in US passport
cards (the credit card sized plastic cards) is as you describe - just a record locator number that does nobody any good unless they have online access to the government's databases. But passport books should be protected against unintended RFID reads if you are paranoid about such things.