SlashNOT

Michael writes: The US Immigration Department reported yesterday that it had apprehended several men who entered the United States illegally by using Microsoft .NET Passports. While the details are not clear, border guards apparently thought the passports appeared legitimate. “Microsoft will issue these passports to just about anyone,” said an Immigration official, “and we want to make it clear that they are not valid international passports.”

Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer says the company is shocked that this could happen. “While .NET Passports provide single sign-in and express purchasing in a secure and private way, they are not intended to allow entrance into any territory,” said Ballmer. “But we’d be happy to discuss this with the US Government as a future option.”