California has passed new privacy safeguards for ‘tag and track’ RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) spy chips.

The State Assembly passed senator Joe Simitian’s Identity Information Protection Act (Senate Bill 768) bill which, “helps ensure that Californians can control the personal information contained on their drivers’ licenses, library cards and other important ID documents,” say the sposors, the ACLU, EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, also supported by other groups, “ranging from the AARP to the California Alliance Against Domestic Violence to the Gun Owners of California,” says the EFF.

But, “RFID technology is not in and of itself the issue,” emphasises Simitian.

“The issue is whether and under what circumstances the government should be allowed to compel its residents to carry technology that broadcasts their most personal information.”

Source: p2pnet.net News