2008 Woodie Awards
RFID technology reminiscent of '1984'
'Man's new best friend' though convenient may invade personal privacy
Michael Stevens
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Viewpoints
"… RFID is a big deal. Its impact will be pervasive, personal and profound. It will be the biggest deal since Edison gave us the light bulb." -Rick Duris, "Frontline Solutions Magazine", 2003.
I present to you the war of our future: RFID. It stands for "Radio Frequency Identification," and is in the works to completely replace barcodes everywhere. These chips utilize electromagnetic energy in the form of radio waves to communicate information at a distance, with no "line of sight" needed. Such waves can permeate the thickest of solids, including wood, concrete and even household walls.
RFID chips can be read with a scanner from afar and have the capacity to communicate their information with each other. While the benefits to this are innumerable, the costs to our humanity will be bankrupting.
Retail chains the world-over are looking to these devices to aid them in their inventory checks and marketing capabilities, since the number of their goods and type sold can be tracked remotely and stored in an "Internet of things." The idea is to equip every conceivable object with a chip that has its own unique data and serial number, including tools, clothing, cosmetics and eventually even people.
The chips can be cheaply mass manufactured as small as half a grain of rice, and are already being used in "Speedway" passes, library books, prisoners and soldiers. Even children are being implanted, whose parents fear for their abduction. These devices are being lauded as "man's new best friend."
Convenience would certainly be gained, but the dichotomy is that such technology would be too tempting for our world's evil to pass up.
For example, marketers and government agents would be able to track your movements in real time by combining GPS satellites with RFID's ubiquitous presence, simply by following which chips come near to the ones inside your clothing, flesh or pocket items.
Criminals would be able to electronically frisk anyone by utilizing hand-held scanners, and thereby detect what kind of high-priced material or possessions that would be worth snatching.
One day, we must put aside all political prejudices and unite in a war against this technology that threatens to enslave us through surveillance.
Conservatives, you must depend on the liberals' unabashed call for increased privacy protection and recognize your own flawed apathy for governmental intervention measures. Liberals, you need to concede to the conservatives' conviction that one day there will be a "mark of the Beast" (which strongly resembles RFID technology), while also acknowledging that your eco-friendly views will be used against you when these chips are passed off as "green cards" and environmentally essential.
Forgive us George Orwell ...
I present to you the war of our future: RFID. It stands for "Radio Frequency Identification," and is in the works to completely replace barcodes everywhere. These chips utilize electromagnetic energy in the form of radio waves to communicate information at a distance, with no "line of sight" needed. Such waves can permeate the thickest of solids, including wood, concrete and even household walls.
RFID chips can be read with a scanner from afar and have the capacity to communicate their information with each other. While the benefits to this are innumerable, the costs to our humanity will be bankrupting.
Retail chains the world-over are looking to these devices to aid them in their inventory checks and marketing capabilities, since the number of their goods and type sold can be tracked remotely and stored in an "Internet of things." The idea is to equip every conceivable object with a chip that has its own unique data and serial number, including tools, clothing, cosmetics and eventually even people.
The chips can be cheaply mass manufactured as small as half a grain of rice, and are already being used in "Speedway" passes, library books, prisoners and soldiers. Even children are being implanted, whose parents fear for their abduction. These devices are being lauded as "man's new best friend."
Convenience would certainly be gained, but the dichotomy is that such technology would be too tempting for our world's evil to pass up.
For example, marketers and government agents would be able to track your movements in real time by combining GPS satellites with RFID's ubiquitous presence, simply by following which chips come near to the ones inside your clothing, flesh or pocket items.
Criminals would be able to electronically frisk anyone by utilizing hand-held scanners, and thereby detect what kind of high-priced material or possessions that would be worth snatching.
One day, we must put aside all political prejudices and unite in a war against this technology that threatens to enslave us through surveillance.
Conservatives, you must depend on the liberals' unabashed call for increased privacy protection and recognize your own flawed apathy for governmental intervention measures. Liberals, you need to concede to the conservatives' conviction that one day there will be a "mark of the Beast" (which strongly resembles RFID technology), while also acknowledging that your eco-friendly views will be used against you when these chips are passed off as "green cards" and environmentally essential.
Forgive us George Orwell ...
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
chris
posted 2/13/08 @ 9:43 AM EST
WOW!! I can empathize with the fear of too much knowledge in the hands of "big brother," but many of our purchases are already tracked via credit/debit card transactions; and equating RFID as the mark of the beast is overstepping. (Continued…)
paul
posted 2/13/08 @ 1:22 PM EST
We take this lightly, but mark the future is here. Privacy, it's been gone for some time. RFID's are just the tip of the iceberg. Once in place, we will become the slaves the government at hand wants. (Continued…)
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