[pct-l] Southbound Questions

[Austin Williams]

Okay.... as a computer tech I have to chime in....

The RFID in the passports is of the "passive", not "active" variety.  That
means they don't transmit anything unless they are within a foot or so of a
reading device.  When they are close to a reader, they are temporarily
powered by the reader via electromagnetic resonance, and transmit their
info.  The info on the chip is the same as that printed on your passport.

So no one will be tracking anyone out on the trail via passive RFID (unless
some gov't agent puts a solar powered reader with an entenna disguised as a
tree branch hanging waist-high across the trail... and if you believe that's
what they have set up at the PCT border crossing  then wearing a tinfoil hat
may better suit you than wrapping your passport in tin foil).

Also, the tin foil cover won't stop a reader from powering and reading a
passive RFID chip.  But a faraday cage will... not that you should be
concerned with that out on the trail.  The only time I'd ever put my
passport in a faraday cage is if I were going to a DEFCON ("hacker's")
conventon.

The border crossing experience is no different now that we have chips in our
passports than it was before we did.

I hope this helps.