Originally Posted by PorkRind
How would such a number be a security risk, assuming it would be used solely to verify that the identification data on your passport matches what's in the central database? I would also expect that the picture stored in said database would also match the one on the passport, and even more importantly, your face.
The ID number would be useless to a criminal unless he/she managed to both obtain your passport and looked like you . . .
Barking up the wrong tree (for the wrong animal). This is not about identity theft; this is about something far more important: i.e., personal security and not bringing attention to yourself; this is especially important in places where criminal-types (incl. terrorists) favor Americans (persons and belongings) as targets.
Even given that the data is encrypted (and it will be), the RFID signal emitted that includes said data will be a near-unique (enough) signal marker for one to know -- especially in developing countries where RFIDs will not be widely present -- that there is someone with an RFID-embedded device. At certain locations/choke points, it will be easy to match a certain signal with a presently in-view or near-view RFID-carrying person. If American passport-carriers are the only ones with RFID tags of a certain sort, then American passport-carriers are too easily identifiable/tracked.