In a bid to improve security, the United States State Department has received approval to begin issuing electronic passports to American citizens, according to the Washington Post.

Starting in October 2006, new and renewed US passports will contain micro-chips containing as yet unspecified digital information about their holders.

In addition to American nationals, foreign travellers who do not require a visa to visit the United States must ensure that they obtain machine-readable digital passports from their respective countries that comply with US passport regulations.

Although the new passport technology is believed to heighten security, technology and security experts fear that the micro-chips could easily be miss-scanned, potentially providing false information, and even increasing the risk of identity theft.