Balancing Privacy and Security in the Australian Passport System

Abstract

Passports are government-issued identification documents. They provide evidence of identity and citizenship, facilitating international travel and national security measures. This places them at the centre of debates regarding the balance between an individual’s privacy and the security of the community. Understanding the technologies used to implement passport systems can shift the discussion from privacy versus security, towards privacy and security — enhancing both. This article reviews these issues from the perspective of existing laws and future policy-making.