The Polemic of RFID e-KTP and its (supposedly) Digital Use

Recently media preach regarding the statement of the Minister of Home Affairs, Gamawan Fauzi, that the e-KTP which is a large government project should not be photocopied because it can damage the RFID chip contained in it. Other related news even mentions that no chips yet or advanced technology embedded in the e-KTP. These two things create polemics in the community, confusion about new technologies and fears that this project worth trillions will be in vain - if it is not corrupted by the relevant officials.

Based on information from a number of practitioners and personal experiments, I can conclude that it is not true that the RFID chip can be damaged by photocopying and it is also not true if there is no chip embedded in the e-KTP. Of course, the real idea of ​​an e-KTP with RFID technology is not just whether it can still be photocopied or have only digital data.

RFID and copier

So far there is no scientific evidence that can conclude that the beam of a photocopier can cause damage to the RFID chip. According to Ario Tamat, DailySocial columnist and RFID technology practitioner with the flag Wooz. in, the RFID technology in the e-KTP does have a point of damage, namely if there is physical damage to the card (for example, being hit with a hammer, cut, etc.). RFID chips can also be damaged and melted if exposed to very high temperatures. If exposed to the sun for a long time, it can sometimes impact this chip to the point of being unreadable, though the effect is only temporary.

Easier is possible for consumers who have credit cards contactless which also uses RFID technology. So far there have been no reports of damage (or an appeal from the credit card issuer) if the credit card with the technology is photocopied (for any purpose).

So far all the facts support the initial premise that there is no real problem between RFID-enabled cards and photocopiers.

e-KTP and the chip inside

There is another report indicating that the e-KTP that has been received by the public currently does not have RFID technology. Of course the rebuttal is very easy. By using a smartphone with NFC technology and an NFC reader application, it is very easy to see that there is already RFID technology embedded in the e-KTP card. As already we tell previously, its chip technology was supplied by NXP Semiconductors.

Here is an example of reading it using an Android smartphone and an NFC Tag Reader application:

It is clear that the allegation that the e-KTP that has been circulating has no RFID technology in it is unfounded. Sadly NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) presented on the e-KTP is not easy to read using conventional devices.

A colleague who using a more sophisticated reader provide more complete data information -- which default already stored on the e-KTP chip. Not only storing prefix data, the chip in the e-KTP should also be used to store new personal data, such as medical history data. This is exactly like the memory card in the gadgets we have.

The proper use of e-KTP

Although technically an e-KTP is not a problem if it is photocopied, there is actually a big idea that is more important than that. The RFID technology embedded in it allows the authentication of personal data without having to photocopy and store it here and there. What is needed is a reading device (e-reader). As expected by the BPPT representative whose email shown above, such uses should be discussed further.

The information contained in it should easily (and digitally) become an identification tool for various things, such as opening a savings account, verifying personal data at government offices, making passports (even an e-KTP should also be a travel document), and so forth.

The existing procedures where the photocopy of the ID card must be part of the physically stored documentation should be updated with a more modern data verification method using a digital data reader. This method is similar to opening an account at a service on the Internet, it is enough to use a Facebook or Twitter account to authenticate the data without the need to fill out a form with the need for many pages of data.

e-KTP is also a powerful tool for data verification during general elections. During voting, re-verification for voter lists is not required as a centralized database allows easy authentication of data and avoids fraud. No need to issue voter cards or invitation letters to vote. There shouldn't even be a need for ink to mark the vote because once the vote has been used, the information is sure to go straight to the database.

Of course there will be a new polemic about how to provide e-reader who can read the data contained in the e-KTP, because as mentioned by Ario Tamat, the system for reading the data is proprietary. People may be afraid that trillions of people's taxes will be disbursed again to fund the provision of readers like this in various government offices. What is clear is that this reinforces the fact that there is no clear coordination between the e-KTP maker and related parties who use e-KTP/KTP for data verification. e-KTP was made on a large scale, but the supporting equipment did not yet exist.

Unfortunately, for things like this, it is the authority of the government, which is clean and honest, that can convince the public as consumers of e-KTP users. Public trust does not necessarily improve if the chaos about e-KTP is triggered by trivial statements from the leaders themselves.