Without getting into Omni territory, and while I have no direct knowledge about terrorist use of wireless devices for nefarious purposes, I do have first hand knowledge of US-based criminal activity via wireless devices. That said, when the kiosk proprietor called in to activate my SIM card, it was only my passport number associated with the registration - not the device's IMEI, not my name, etc. A less honest proprietor or his/her staff, simply could have retained my passport number and activated other SIM cards using the number, hence my concern. (And by the way, I didn't have to show him my passport; I just read off the number.)

Because I'm not going to risk losing or damaging my passport on a domestic trip. As for the home address, that's easy enough to obtain from many public sources. I think the concern of TSA clerks doing home invasions is an urban legend, if that. It's really a non-issue.

If any of you are thinking of coming to Japan for the 2020 Olympics, here is the law:

You, as a non-resident of Japan, are required to write your passport number and nationality on the registration card at a hotel. That's the law. However, a lot of hotels demand to both see AND copy your passport as well. That is NOT the law, but is often presented as such.They have no right to see it or copy it. Hotels will have nicely printed multilingual and laminated papers to show the guest, but again these are not the law . Further, you cannot be legally denied accommodation if you refuse to let your passport be inspected or copied. Hotels may kick up a fuss, but too bad for them.

For foreign residents of Japan, all you have to do is write your address on the form, just like a Japanese citizen, and show a proof of payment (credit card). No ID required by law at all. Again, hotels may insist on a passport or residence card or driver's license. Again, you cannot be denied accommodation if you do not produce ID for inspection or copy. This has been a struggle for those of us who live here, but slowly hotels seem to be getting the message.

The passport card is an inexpensive solution to this problem.

I don't know if this is still the case, but in the past TSA was known to copy address information off of DLs into their "incident reports" which might then be used to mail you an administrative fine for so-called offenses like "non-physical interference with screening." This seemed more likely in the days when you had to show your ID/BP again at the metal detector. Presenting a passport card makes it much harder for TSA to obtain your home address for these purposes without involving the police.

Also, if the ID checker is electronically scanning your DL barcode, TSA could be collecting and archiving your address and other personal information on the DL for nefarious purposes. The passport (card) won't get them anything other than name, DOB, and document number.

Moderator's Note: Topic Drift
 

Folks,

While some natural divergence from the topic of the thread is OK, please keep in mind that the focus of this discussion is the requirement by some hotels to photocopy passports or otherwise record passport information upon check-in.

We have plenty of threads discussing what types of ID's are acceptable at TSA security checkpoints and expressing concerns that TSA screeners may record travelers home addresses for nefarious reasons.

Please keep future posts in this thread focused on hotels that require seeing or recording passport information upon check-in.

Thank you for understanding,

TWA884
Travel Safety/Security co-moderator