Australia is looking at trialling passport-less travel in a move Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop predicts will go global. The idea of cloud passports is the result of a hipster-style-hackathon held at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which culminated in an X-Factor style audition before the secretary Peter Varghese, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop, Assistant Minister Steve Ciobo and Chris Vein from the World Bank.
Under a cloud passport, a traveller's identity and biometrics data would be stored in a cloud, so passengers would no longer need to carry their passports and risk having them lost or stolen. DFAT says 38,718 passports were registered as lost or stolen in 2014-15, consistent with the 38,689 reported missing the previous year.
Australia and New Zealand are now in discussions about trialling cloud passports. Ms Bishop acknowledged there were security requirements that would have to be met in order to store biometrics in the cloud, but told Fairfax Media: "We think it will go global."
[Also Covered By]: Australia Is Testing Virtual Passports
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday November 04 2015, @08:35AM
Not every place in the world has has a cloud. Some small countries, even some off the coast of Australia, are lucky enough to have electricity, let alone a reliable internet.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 5, Funny) by Absolutely.Geek on Wednesday November 04 2015, @08:37AM
It's called New Zealand you insensitive clod
Don't trust the police or the government - Shihad: My mind's sedate.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday November 04 2015, @08:45AM
I was thinking more North than East.
The Kiwis pretty much got their shit together.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 04 2015, @08:56AM
North Korea doesn't need electricity, you decadent barbarian.
(Score: 2) by Absolutely.Geek on Wednesday November 04 2015, @09:00AM
The Kiwis pretty much got their shit together.
If only that were true; we still have so much "not together"; but maybe we are better then the AUstrailians for now, they seem a bit lost at the moment.
Don't trust the police or the government - Shihad: My mind's sedate.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday November 04 2015, @03:18PM
Use velcro--can join any number of sheep.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Absolutely.Geek on Wednesday November 04 2015, @07:39PM
Polygamy is still illegal here
Don't trust the police or the government - Shihad: My mind's sedate.