Prague will anonymise RFID city cards

By EDRi · August 1, 2007

(Dieser Artikel ist auch in deutscher Sprache verfügbar)

Prague Deputy Mayor announced that following the presure of EDRI-member
Iuridicum Remedium and the interpellation of the member of city parliament
Petra Kolinska (Green Party) the city authorities decided that RFID chips in
newly issued city cards will no longer contain personal data.

This move is a reaction to the press conference Iuridicum Remedium held on
12 June2007. At the press conference cryptologist Tomás Rosa demonstrated
that first and last name as well as date of birth of the owners of the
newly issued city card can be easily read by any unauthorised person from
a distance of a dozen centimeters even when carried in the purse or pocket.
The NGO requested city authorities to stop the project of city card
immediately or at least delete personal information from the chips.

Multipurposed city card (named Open Card) containing RFID chip has been
distributed since the beginning of this year to the Prague citizens. City
authorities claim that citizens will be able to pay with the card for
parking, use it in city library, ticket on public transport and as
electronic signature for communication with the Town Hall. The city of
Prague has invested in the new Open Card already more than 100 million
crowns (approx. 3.2 million Euro) and want to distribute the first series of
50 000 cards to the citizens by Autumn.

Municipality accommodated requests of data protection group (only in Czech,
28.07.2007)
http://www.slidilove.cz/node/182

Open letter of Iuridicum Remedium to the municipality of Prague on Open Card
(only in Czech, 15.06.2007)
http://www.iure.org/616260

Universal card of prague citizens represents risk for data protection (only
in Czech, 11.06.2007)
http://www.blisty.cz/2007/6/12/art34799.html

Nomination for Big Brother Awards: Card of Prague´s municipality (only in
Czech, 12.06.2007)
http://ihned.cz/3-21375720-karta+pra%9Eana-000000_d-ce

(Contribution by Filip Pospisil – EDRI-member Iuridicum Remedium – Czech
Republic)