[The Doomed One]

I just saw an interesting article over on Singularity Hub about using RFIDtags to track people, and I though it was relevant.  

It figures that now that I am making this post I can't think of anything to say; I suppose something will come to me eventually.

[FastJack]

Holy Crap! I opened the article and the first thing I noticed was the picture of Stephen Hawkins for another article. MAN, does he look bad nowadays...

Anyway, this has been around a while. Some pet-owners have been using RFID tags implanted in their pets for identification purposes. And then, of course, there's this; where a scientist had implanted an RFID device in his wrist for the security doors and such at work (instead of carrying the damn card) and they then programmed a virus on the RFID tag that would piggy back on other RFIDs, then infect computer networks they came in contact with.

[The_Gun_Nut]

I think the problem most people don't see is the potential to abuse the system.  Sure, they can see terrorists bombing buildings with hijacked planes (over and over and over on the weekend of Sept. 11th), but they can't physically see future abuse.  It's not here right now?  So why should we fear it?

For those of you who think this short sighted, you are quite right.  Rules and laws are not made for those who play nice with others.  Restrictions are put in place to prevent the few dirty bastards from taking advantage of the nice people.

This has "Brave New World" writ large all over it.

[Mystic]

It always comes down to the question: what is more important, security or privacy? All new technology has the potential for abuse. But normally the potential for such abuses are mittigated by a reasonably responsible society/govt/user. The obvious problem is that we dont HAVE a reasonably responsible society, govt, etc etc.

Sux don't it.

[Walks Through Walls]

I essentially use a RFID tag to buzz in the door at work everyday.

[Doc Chaos]

The new german citizen ID will have an RFID in it. Go figure.

[FastJack]

I essentially use a RFID tag to buzz in the door at work everyday.

That's pretty common nowadays. I even know of some apartment complexes that give you a RFID fob to get in the front door (still using a key on your apartment door, though).

[Mystic]

I essentially use a RFID tag to buzz in the door at work everyday.

In a card or fob is one thing. Technically you dont HAVE to have it with you. A required implant however...

[Chaotic Insane]

Galahad has a microchip between his shoulder blades that the shelter implanted with all data proving that he is mine and if he is lost needs to be returned to me (and I think maybe his medical record, too?). Even if his old owners (whoever either turned him loose or lost him a over year and a half ago) come looking, that little chip says that he is MINE. It's kinda sad to me that one little microchip can override years of ownership. (not that they bothered to look for him, obviously, since he was in the shelter for months)

They're starting to discover that those chip implants in longer-lived animals (horses and livestock in particular) are starting to cause growths (some malignant) in the implant site. They don't know if it's specifically that brand of chip that does it, or if it's just that sort of thing being in their body for 20-30 years.

Now. People live a lot longer than horses do... :/ This isn't even touching into the hacking and virus parts. This is just the biological aspect. How are they going to keep EVERYONE'S body from rejecting the implants, especially if they're not biological material? Surface piercings will ALWAYS eventually reject and start to migrate, dermal implants don't always come out looking so pretty... There's also just the issue of them breaking. I read an article on stumble once about someone who implanted a small magnet in his finger to see if it would give him any sort of extra sense (which it did, to a degree interestingly enough), and then the magnet SHATTERED in his fingertip. Potential for broken bits to end up in places in your body they just should not end up. Like your heart tissue for instance! He got lucky in that since it was a magnet, it kept itself in the same general location, but that's still a lot of pain.

What hackers can do now is already scary. Store Support, wherever the hell they are, can hack EVERY SINGLE MACHINE at my work from anywhere. All our scales, our printers, our computers, our accounts, probably the cameras; everything but the registers, which are owned by a private company. They can also accidentally wipe all record of you ever working there... >_>;; I'd be a lot more worried about it if I didn't need them to hack everything remotely all the time because I can't even figure out how to get the label printers to spit out a test strip. XD However, what the hell's stopping them from when they get asked to fix a store security camera, spotting an employee or customer they think is attractive and watching them all day? *shudder*

[The_Gun_Nut]

It always comes down to the question: what is more important, security or privacy? All new technology has the potential for abuse. But normally the potential for such abuses are mittigated by a reasonably responsible society/govt/user. The obvious problem is that we dont HAVE a reasonably responsible society, govt, etc etc.

Sux don't it.

It's not that we don't have a responsible government.  That's not the issue here.  The problem is that governments change over time due to people coming in and out of the governmental body.  Even if you have the most responsible, most sensible and above all most trustworthy people in office today, that has absolutely no bearing on who will be in there tomorrow.  The rules of government should not and cannot be based upon trustworthiness, because eventually someone untrustworthy will be in a position to abuse whatever powers they have been given and strive to take more power (or rather, convince others that they need more).

[Chaotic Insane]

And even if our government is trustworthy, there sure's hell are people out there smarter than them that are not.

[Usda Beph]

Before my Bro died we had a discussion about the security of our nation after 911. He was going on and on about the government needing to do something about making the country safe. I asked him, "Willing to give up your freedom Your Pravacy?" He said no. "Then you don't want security." Security is Invasive. Ity needs to know your buisness So that Joe Schmucatelli can be sure you are not going to blow him up on a plane with a crotch bomb! Freedom and security are kinda mutually exclusive.

[Mystic]

It's not that we don't have a responsible government.  That's not the issue here.  The problem is that governments change over time due to people coming in and out of the governmental body.  Even if you have the most responsible, most sensible and above all most trustworthy people in office today, that has absolutely no bearing on who will be in there tomorrow.  The rules of government should not and cannot be based upon trustworthiness, because eventually someone untrustworthy will be in a position to abuse whatever powers they have been given and strive to take more power (or rather, convince others that they need more).
[/quote]

True, it is this very fact that makes most governments "unresponsible". But also note that I included society as a whole and the specific individual. All play their part and are interconnected.

[Teknodragon]

I recall a conversation a friend related to me once.  One of his buddies was going on about implanting an RFID chip in his hand and how secure and awesome it was.  My friend then pulled out his knife, opened it up, and said, "Which hand?"

What goes in, can always come out!


Another thing to consider: how hardened are these ID chips?  If someone works around certain equipment, the chips can be destroyed, depending on their construction.  Consider the docs and techs around MRI machines, or those who work in electric sub-stations.

[Usda Beph]

New definition of Buzzkill there Tek!