Wired News' Ryan Singel reports that the Department of Homeland Security has suppressed a report it commissioned [PDF file] to look at the viability of using RFID chips in identification documents. "The report remains stuck in draft mode, even as new identification cards with the chips are being announced," Singel writes.

The draft report concludes that "RFID appears to offer little benefit when compared to the consequences it brings for privacy and data integrity."

"The powers that be took a good run at deep-sixing this report," says Cato Institute fellow Jim Harper. "There's such a strongly held consensus among industry and DHS that RFID is the way to go that getting people off of that and getting them to examine the technology is very hard to do."

"Meanwhile, the RFIDs just keeping coming," Singel writes. "Last week, the State Department announced that it would soon be issuing new cards for visitors to Mexico, Canada and the Bermudas containing a chip that could be read from 20 feet away."