Governent Watchdog Org Releases Scathing Report on PASS Card
Questioning issues such as the cost to travel and the federal government’s rights, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), joined by representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union and The Cato Institute, released the report, “Border Security: PASS Card Fails on Cost, Privacy.”
Perhaps the biggest concern (which you’ve no doubt heard over and over): the new card contains an RFID chip that could conceivably be read from “30 to 50 feet away.”
CAGW Releases Report on Border Security
9/7/2006 2:33:00 PM
WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 /U.S. Newswire/ – Today Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), joined by representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union and The Cato Institute, released its report, “Border Security: PASS Card Fails on Cost, Privacy.”
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, slated to go in effect in 2008, requires U.S. citizens and all travelers to show a passport or other document approved by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in order to enter the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The State Department and DHS are locked in a heated battle over what type of technology should be used in the new system, which will impact commerce, travelers and taxpayers. The PASS Card, or People Access Security Service, may be embedded with an RFID (radio frequency identification) chip that could be read from 30 to 50 feet away.
CAGW’s report questions whether the cost to travel, commerce and taxpayers outweighs any benefit of the new PASS card. The federal government’s cost estimates have been notoriously low in similar projects. For example, the estimated cost of the REAL ID Act was $100 million, but current estimates are that REAL ID could eclipse $17.3 billion. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/rfidnews-4.gif)
