31 October 2026 · 4 min
Identity card: the chip matters because it can be verified
Inside the card
Let's see what that chip really holds, what it doesn't do, and how a document remains a verifiable proof.
Exteryo Report Editorial Team
In South Tyrol, some electronic identity cards have been found with the microchip removed, and the Carabinieri have reported those carrying them.
The short answer
- The chipholds personal and biometric data for electronic verification
- No trackingdoes not reveal movements or location
- Integritywithout a chip, electronic verification is no longer possible
The short answer
The chip is the proof inside the document: keeping it intact preserves the ability to prove who we are.
Why it's not simple
The chip is a technical detail, the document remains valid even without it.
There's more.
Why it's not simple
The chip is the point where the document verifies itself: when it is missing, the card is seized and a report for document forgery is filed, and in some cases, the removed chips are used to manufacture counterfeit cards.
Chapter 1 of 4
What happened to identity cards in South Tyrol?
South Tyrol
In a few months, the Carabinieri in South Tyrol have found several electronic identity cards with the chip manually removed.
Before moving on
How many people did the Egna Carabinieri report for documents with the chip removed?
The source
In recent months, the Egna Carabinieri have reported four people found with tampered documents, with the chip removed through a handmade hole. Other incidents have been recorded in Val Venosta, especially among younger people.
South Tyrol
- Egnafour people reported
- Val Venostaother incidents, especially among the young
- Laivesa 47-year-old man reported, document seized
Note
The Carabinieri report similar incidents in other areas of Italy too, and the phenomenon allegedly arrived from Germany, where videos showing how to remove the chip are circulating on social media.
Chapter 2 of 4
What data does the microchip contain and what does it not contain?
The content
The chip of the electronic identity card only holds the personal and biometric data of the holder. It does not record movements and does not indicate where the person is.
What the chip holds
Knowing what a device does, and what it doesn't do, is the first right of those who carry it in their pocket.
1 of 2
Personal data
2 of 2
Biometric data
The source
The component exclusively holds the personal and biometric data of the holder, necessary for electronic identity verification and access to digital services.
The content
- Personal dataContains
- Biometric dataContains
- MovementsDoes not record
- Geographical locationDoes not indicate
Chapter 3 of 4
What remains verifiable when the chip is no longer readable?
The verification
Without a chip, the card loses the part that verifies itself. It remains a medium to be visually checked, and the document is seized because it is compromised.
The verification
The contactless chip is the component that allows electronic verification: the reader compares the stored data with the holder. When the component is removed, that verification can no longer be done.
The source
In Laives, the document, compromised in its electronic functionalities, was seized. The news adds that in some cases, the removed chips are allegedly used by criminals to create counterfeit identity cards.
Note
This is the point that concerns everyone: a chip removed from an authentic card can end up in a fake card. Proof of identity is valid when it remains linked to its document.
Chapter 4 of 4
What are the consequences for those who tamper with an identity document?
The consequences
Removing the chip from an identity card leads to a report for document forgery. It is not a privacy choice, it is a crime.
The source
For the man stopped in Laives, a report for document forgery was filed.
The consequences
As Christian Carli specified, the removal of the microchip «is a criminal offence and not a trivial matter».
The useful path
Those who want to protect their privacy have a more useful path: to find out what the document really contains.
In a sentence
The chip doesn't say where you are. It says it's you, and proves it to those checking.
Exteryo Report
Takeaway
Five checks for a verifiable document. For citizens and offices receiving an electronic identity card.
0 of 5 checked
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Sources
Images and animations: illustrative objects generated with artificial intelligence. They do not depict real objects or documents mentioned in the article.
ExteryoExteryo Report · 31 October 2026