Going by the black market that pops up before such international events allowing a few to make a quick buck at the expense of those who are really passionate about sports, the Chinese decided to do something about it. They have introduced hi-tech tickets for the Beijing Olympics. RFID chips in each ticket will include photos, phone numbers, email addresses and passport data ensuring the $720 face value is not increased on the street.

While it sounds all hunky dory on paper, its clearly going to heckle privacy rights advocates who believe that considering the Whos Who of the international community may be attending the Olympics, it could be a very delicate issue. This was the very reason that the system was given up in the 2006 World Cup. However going by the fact that the Olympics are in China and the Chinese couldnt care less about privacy concerns, the tickets are definitely going to be with RFID tags.

The benefits offered by this tech cant of course be under estimated and it should be good to see how well the system works out for the future. It could also mean that potential trouble makers can easily be screened out or kept an eye on.

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