DoD Plans To Deploy RFID In Operations With 24 Nations
The Department of Defense said Thursday it intends to move forward on plans to use active radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to support collaborative military coalition operations with 24 countries. The partner list was made final late last month.
The group, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, Switzerland and North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO) country members will use consistent standards to share information based on International Organization for Standards (ISO) data formats.
Final details are being hashed out and closely defined among the group, but at the AIM Global conference in Newport Beach, Calif., Dan Kimball, lead technical advisor for the Department of Defense Logistics AIT Office, said the government agency has received letters of intent from the 24 nations that intend to participate.
The goal to share information and create interoperability between nations hasn't been an easy task. "Herding kittens is sometimes easier than getting something like this done," Kimball said. "Clearly the most difficult problem we have is language."
The tag data routing code stored at the beginning of the active RFID tag, which requires a power source to transmit the data signal, will identify the country of origin. Coalition members have agreed to transmit securely via the Web the tag number and when and where it was read. Kimball said unless someone has access to the host nation's database that connects the tag number with the manifest.
While the Department of Defense embeds the entire manifest on the tag, the NATO countries do not. Kimball said each country participant will control the amount of information on the tag.
What the future holds for RFID
Moderator: Super Moderators
What the future holds for RFID
Last edited by SETIsLady on 02-25-2006 08:56 AM, edited 1 time in total.
Pentagon nearly doubles RFID budget
Pentagon nearly doubles RFID budget
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The Pentagon is nearly doubling the amount of money it is spending on radio frequency identification technology to track shipments of supplies to Iraq.
A statement Monday from Savi Technology said that the Department of Defense had increased the value of its contract with the firm by over $200 million to $424.5 million and extended its duration by two years to Jan.1, 2008.
In a statement, the U.S. Army's Information Technology, E-Commerce and Commercial Contracting Center said: "The extension of the ordering period and raising of the contract ceiling is necessary in order to continue to provide active (radio frequency identification) tags and associated supplies and services for shipments of materiel to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom."
Radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology consists of tags that emit and recieve tiny radio signals. Attached to containers or even individual supply items, the tags can be detected and interpreted by special readers and their signals fed into software programs that track, manage and secure the military's supply chains and the materiel they contain.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The Pentagon is nearly doubling the amount of money it is spending on radio frequency identification technology to track shipments of supplies to Iraq.
A statement Monday from Savi Technology said that the Department of Defense had increased the value of its contract with the firm by over $200 million to $424.5 million and extended its duration by two years to Jan.1, 2008.
In a statement, the U.S. Army's Information Technology, E-Commerce and Commercial Contracting Center said: "The extension of the ordering period and raising of the contract ceiling is necessary in order to continue to provide active (radio frequency identification) tags and associated supplies and services for shipments of materiel to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom."
Radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology consists of tags that emit and recieve tiny radio signals. Attached to containers or even individual supply items, the tags can be detected and interpreted by special readers and their signals fed into software programs that track, manage and secure the military's supply chains and the materiel they contain.
Citizens Becomes Latest Bank to Offer PayPass Debit
Citizens Financial Group, the eighth-largest commercial bank holding company in the United States, says it is issuing its Citizens Bank and Charter One Bank customers with MasterCard debit cards containing PayPass RFID payment functionality. PayPass enables cardholders to use an RFID tag embedded in the card to make transactions at the 25,000 U.S. merchant locations that accept PayPass.
These include McDonald's, CVS, Duane Reade, 7-Eleven, Regal Cinemas and Wawa. Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia has also installed PayPass-enabled card readers at all of its concessions. Citizens Financial Group operates branches in 13 states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Rhode Island. This month, reissued cards being sent to existing Citizens Bank and Charter One Bank customers will include the PayPass feature.
In March, Citizens and Charter One will begin replacing all other existing customers' debit cards with PayPass-enabled versions. Tests have shown that RFID-enabled payments are completed more quickly than other forms, including cards with a magnetic stripe. PayPass transactions under $25 do not require a signature. Citibank, HSBC Bank and Key Bank are also issuing PayPass-enabled debit cards.
http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/arti ... /2168/1/1/
These include McDonald's, CVS, Duane Reade, 7-Eleven, Regal Cinemas and Wawa. Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia has also installed PayPass-enabled card readers at all of its concessions. Citizens Financial Group operates branches in 13 states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Rhode Island. This month, reissued cards being sent to existing Citizens Bank and Charter One Bank customers will include the PayPass feature.
In March, Citizens and Charter One will begin replacing all other existing customers' debit cards with PayPass-enabled versions. Tests have shown that RFID-enabled payments are completed more quickly than other forms, including cards with a magnetic stripe. PayPass transactions under $25 do not require a signature. Citibank, HSBC Bank and Key Bank are also issuing PayPass-enabled debit cards.
http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/arti ... /2168/1/1/
Department of Homeland Security and RFID - Best Buddies
In what is sure to raise the hackles of privacy advocates and paranoid consumers everywhere, it's being reported that the Department of Homeland Security is considering RFID technology to track individuals in a passive fashion. By being able to "spy" on private citizens on street corners and passengers in cars driving by at 55 mph, this sets off many kinds of personal privacy alarms for me alone. But, although we like to think we are private citizens, the truth is privacy has been long gone, especially in the internet age. We should still make valiant attempts to safeguard very sensitive things, but forget trying to be private, unless you want to live under a bridge and off the grid.
According to the Department of Homeland Security request, " DHS is seeking RFID devices that "can be sensed remotely, passively, and automatically....The device must be readable under all kinds of indoor and outdoor conditions... and while carried by pedestrians or vehicle occupant". That sounds pretty scary to me folks. Instead of those foil hats from "Signs", perhaps we should we foil coats and shirts everywhere we go.Download and read this PDF for more details.
Department of Homeland Security and RFID - Best Buddies
According to the Department of Homeland Security request, " DHS is seeking RFID devices that "can be sensed remotely, passively, and automatically....The device must be readable under all kinds of indoor and outdoor conditions... and while carried by pedestrians or vehicle occupant". That sounds pretty scary to me folks. Instead of those foil hats from "Signs", perhaps we should we foil coats and shirts everywhere we go.Download and read this PDF for more details.
Department of Homeland Security and RFID - Best Buddies
Last edited by SETIsLady on 02-26-2006 09:06 AM, edited 1 time in total.
Injected with RFID microchips at their employer's request
RFID: Banned In New Hampshire?
By DAVID SIMS
TMCnet CRM Alert Columnist
Trade journal Logistics Today, citing reports by AIM Global and the American Electronics Association, say legislation currently pending in California and New Hampshire could have a sweeping and negative effect on the use of radio frequency identification.
Of particular interest to both AIM Global and AeA, the publication says, "is New Hampshire legislation that describes 'tracking devices' as everything from E-Z Pass transponders to library cards."
The legislation, if passed, would require that no item “to which a tracking device or devices have been affixed or implanted, shall be sold or offered for sale or provided to a consumer without a label containing a universally accepted symbol.” (New Hampshire House Bill 203-FN, Chapter 358-S-2 I).
Of course, part of the problem is that aforesaid symbol does not exist in an accepted, standardized form. The EPC Global seal or the AIM RFID emblem are in widespread use, but critics say they have "limitations:" The EPC Global seal can be applied only to EPC-compliant tags and labels, and the AIM RFID emblem, which can be applied to any type of RFID device, is not yet universally accepted.
Legislation has reflected consumer and privacy advocates' concerns about the invasiveness and undetectability of RFID. More specific concerns have also been addressed with legislation, such as the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1988, which requires biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers to prove they have processes in place to prevent the diversion of drugs.
In other words, they need to show they can trace a shipment's "chain of custody" at all stages, from manufacturing to delivery. This prompted some states to consider their own laws, due to increased drug counterfeiting.
In Florida legislation is scheduled in July 2006, and in January 2007 in California.
Interesting photo gallery of various folks in New Hampshire protesting "spychips," as anti-RFID activists call them, here.
Anti-RFID crusader Spychips.com reported a few days ago that two U.S. employees have been injected with RIFD microchips at their employer's request.
Cincinnati video surveillance company CityWatcher.com now requires employees to use VeriChip human implantable microchips to enter a secure data center, Network Administrator Khary Williams told Spychips.com's Liz McIntyre by phone. McIntyre, co-author of "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID," contacted CityWatcher after it announced it had integrated the VeriChip VeriGuard product into its access control system.
The VeriChip is a glass encapsulated RFID tag that is injected into the flesh of the triceps area of the arm to uniquely number and identify individuals. The tag can be read through a person's clothing, silently and invisibly, by radio waves from a few inches away. The highly controversial device is being marketed as a way to access secure areas, link to medical records, and serve as a payment instrument when associated with a credit card.
http://news.tmcnet.com/news/2006/02/13/1365597.htm
By DAVID SIMS
TMCnet CRM Alert Columnist
Trade journal Logistics Today, citing reports by AIM Global and the American Electronics Association, say legislation currently pending in California and New Hampshire could have a sweeping and negative effect on the use of radio frequency identification.
Of particular interest to both AIM Global and AeA, the publication says, "is New Hampshire legislation that describes 'tracking devices' as everything from E-Z Pass transponders to library cards."
The legislation, if passed, would require that no item “to which a tracking device or devices have been affixed or implanted, shall be sold or offered for sale or provided to a consumer without a label containing a universally accepted symbol.” (New Hampshire House Bill 203-FN, Chapter 358-S-2 I).
Of course, part of the problem is that aforesaid symbol does not exist in an accepted, standardized form. The EPC Global seal or the AIM RFID emblem are in widespread use, but critics say they have "limitations:" The EPC Global seal can be applied only to EPC-compliant tags and labels, and the AIM RFID emblem, which can be applied to any type of RFID device, is not yet universally accepted.
Legislation has reflected consumer and privacy advocates' concerns about the invasiveness and undetectability of RFID. More specific concerns have also been addressed with legislation, such as the Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1988, which requires biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturers to prove they have processes in place to prevent the diversion of drugs.
In other words, they need to show they can trace a shipment's "chain of custody" at all stages, from manufacturing to delivery. This prompted some states to consider their own laws, due to increased drug counterfeiting.
In Florida legislation is scheduled in July 2006, and in January 2007 in California.
Interesting photo gallery of various folks in New Hampshire protesting "spychips," as anti-RFID activists call them, here.
Anti-RFID crusader Spychips.com reported a few days ago that two U.S. employees have been injected with RIFD microchips at their employer's request.
Cincinnati video surveillance company CityWatcher.com now requires employees to use VeriChip human implantable microchips to enter a secure data center, Network Administrator Khary Williams told Spychips.com's Liz McIntyre by phone. McIntyre, co-author of "Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track Your Every Move with RFID," contacted CityWatcher after it announced it had integrated the VeriChip VeriGuard product into its access control system.
The VeriChip is a glass encapsulated RFID tag that is injected into the flesh of the triceps area of the arm to uniquely number and identify individuals. The tag can be read through a person's clothing, silently and invisibly, by radio waves from a few inches away. The highly controversial device is being marketed as a way to access secure areas, link to medical records, and serve as a payment instrument when associated with a credit card.
http://news.tmcnet.com/news/2006/02/13/1365597.htm
http://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/060206.html
the white boxes are SALT CRYSTALS, the black squares are RFID chips...
the white boxes are SALT CRYSTALS, the black squares are RFID chips...
Republican - re·pub·li·can (r-pbl-kn) - political party, which will control part of Congress 2011-2012, undermining the strength of the country - on purpose, in public, without apology or shame - simply for a campaign advantage in 2012.
oh man! we are so screwed! thanks Rombaldi! great find!Rombaldi wrote: http://www.hitachi.com/New/cnews/060206.html
the white boxes are SALT CRYSTALS, the black squares are RFID chips...
S.Madewell - "If the truth shall kill a man ... let him die!"
Now, this is what I call a Philips Screw-Driver, folks! Avoiding complex assembly steps? How nice that the PTBs don't want to make things complex!
Chip a couple of City Watchers and look what happens!!! No mass outcry from the sheeple! So, let's push the program ahead at full speed!
http://www.electropages.com/viewArticle ... ticle=6457
Philips - World's first 13.56MHz RFID tags based on plastic electronics
Published Feb 14 2006
A fully-functional 13.56MHz RFID tag, based entirely on plastic electronics, has been developed by scientists at Philips Research. In contrast to conventional silicon-chip-based RFID tags, a plastic electronics RFID chip can be printed directly onto a plastic substrate along with an antenna avoiding complex assembly steps.
The breakthrough could pave the way for the packaging industry to replace existing barcodes by a low-cost RFID tag that provides individual packages with a unique item-level identification code- something not feasible with current barcode technology, says the company.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, based on remotely retrieving information via radio waves from miniature electronic circuits called RFID tags. Philips has now realized the first plastic-electronics-based tag that is capable of transmitting multi-bit digital identification codes at 13.56MHz - the dominant industry-standard radio frequency for RFID tag applications. As an additional demonstrator for the technology, scientists at Philips Research have also developed a 64-bit code generator, showing the practicality of building plastic electronic circuits with the complexity required for item-level tagging, says the company.
Chip a couple of City Watchers and look what happens!!! No mass outcry from the sheeple! So, let's push the program ahead at full speed!
http://www.electropages.com/viewArticle ... ticle=6457
Philips - World's first 13.56MHz RFID tags based on plastic electronics
Published Feb 14 2006
A fully-functional 13.56MHz RFID tag, based entirely on plastic electronics, has been developed by scientists at Philips Research. In contrast to conventional silicon-chip-based RFID tags, a plastic electronics RFID chip can be printed directly onto a plastic substrate along with an antenna avoiding complex assembly steps.
The breakthrough could pave the way for the packaging industry to replace existing barcodes by a low-cost RFID tag that provides individual packages with a unique item-level identification code- something not feasible with current barcode technology, says the company.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, based on remotely retrieving information via radio waves from miniature electronic circuits called RFID tags. Philips has now realized the first plastic-electronics-based tag that is capable of transmitting multi-bit digital identification codes at 13.56MHz - the dominant industry-standard radio frequency for RFID tag applications. As an additional demonstrator for the technology, scientists at Philips Research have also developed a 64-bit code generator, showing the practicality of building plastic electronic circuits with the complexity required for item-level tagging, says the company.
S.Madewell - "If the truth shall kill a man ... let him die!"
Check the wording below!!! RFID leaders announce their teamwork!?!? RFID Expediter!?!? Turnkey Compliance Service? Compliance? Service?
Oh for the love of....
http://www.dmreview.com/article_sub.cfm ... Id=1048172
RFID Leaders Team to Provide Nationwide Compliance Service to DoD Suppliers
Online News published in DMReview.com
February 14, 2006
Productivity by RFID, Mil-Pac Technology and Printronix, three leaders in radio frequency identification (RFID), announce their teamwork in launching RFID Expediter: Turnkey Compliance Service. RFID Expediter provides Department of Defense (DoD) suppliers with a complete, rapid, cost-effective way to comply with DoD RFID policy. The policy, which became effective November 14, 2005, impacts an estimated 60,000 DoD suppliers across the nation. RFID Expediter allows DoD suppliers to achieve full compliance without any purchase of hardware or software. RFID Expediter provides custom encoded military specification RFID labels for customers to apply to cases and pallets shipped to DoD depots. It utilizes electronic data interchange to communicate an advanced ship notice (ASN) to the DoD's wide area workflow (WAWF) network. Both RFID labels and ASN are required by DoD policy.
Oh for the love of....
http://www.dmreview.com/article_sub.cfm ... Id=1048172
RFID Leaders Team to Provide Nationwide Compliance Service to DoD Suppliers
Online News published in DMReview.com
February 14, 2006
Productivity by RFID, Mil-Pac Technology and Printronix, three leaders in radio frequency identification (RFID), announce their teamwork in launching RFID Expediter: Turnkey Compliance Service. RFID Expediter provides Department of Defense (DoD) suppliers with a complete, rapid, cost-effective way to comply with DoD RFID policy. The policy, which became effective November 14, 2005, impacts an estimated 60,000 DoD suppliers across the nation. RFID Expediter allows DoD suppliers to achieve full compliance without any purchase of hardware or software. RFID Expediter provides custom encoded military specification RFID labels for customers to apply to cases and pallets shipped to DoD depots. It utilizes electronic data interchange to communicate an advanced ship notice (ASN) to the DoD's wide area workflow (WAWF) network. Both RFID labels and ASN are required by DoD policy.
S.Madewell - "If the truth shall kill a man ... let him die!"
Barcelona’s Baja Beach Club
NO WAITING IN LINE FOR CHIPEES GOING TO BARCELONA'S BAJA BEACH CLUB! CHIPEES GET PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT! QUICK! ACT NOW! GET THE CHIP! THE VERICHIP! IT'S ALL THE RAGE!
I wonder if anyone's thought of making a combination long distance chip reader and rifle scope? Just asking, because ... when the revolution starts ... I'd like to know which sheeple I'm going to have to cap, before these butt monkeys rat me out to their Masters! Heaven help us!
VeriChip has VeriMed Patient Identification ID Chip Implants being used during Medical Emergencies
March 5th, 2006
An implanted chip in a person would be able to tell emergency workers and doctors a person’s name and contact information as well as any medical conditions. There is another company in Cincinnati Ohio called CityWatcher.com that is using implanted chips at a company for accessing a room.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, there is an “Implant Night” at the Barcelona’s Baja Beach Club. On Tuesday nights customers that come with chip implants don’t wait in line and get their chip scanned. By scanning the customer’s chip it will automatically withdraw the funds from the bank account to pay for the drinks.
The down side to a chip implant that the FDA warns of potential adverse interactions with an MRI scan. The incompatibility can cause the implant to possible heat up and cause the patient to be burned. This poses concern with the safety of this chip implant. What happens if the item malfunctions? This too would be of concern. It just seems like a good idea to keep the chips outside of the body. Maybe a ring or a necklace would be better?
There are currently 80 medical centers that have the scanners to read and detect for the chip. The medical procedure cost $200 to have the rice sized implant put into the patients arm. The good news is that medical staffers and doctors may be more aware of your medical condition and treat the emergency better. The bad news is that it can have a potential risk of a severe burn if a MRI is performed.
Thoughts of what could go wrong come to mind. Would an arm be chopped off for access to secrets for financial gain? Would a person be drugged and the chip removed to steal all their finances? And the person would not have any legal protection because the chip was implanted and it was them that did it, even though maybe they didn’t do it. I think I would rather have someone steal my purse or wallet than my arm! It sounds wonderful in some regards, but the reality is that there is always a criminal element in every aspect of society that would exploit this technology. Whether it is the government imposing your freedom or a criminal group trying to rip you off, it would be bad news eventually.
http://www.bestsyndication.com/Articles ... mplant.htm
I wonder if anyone's thought of making a combination long distance chip reader and rifle scope? Just asking, because ... when the revolution starts ... I'd like to know which sheeple I'm going to have to cap, before these butt monkeys rat me out to their Masters! Heaven help us!
VeriChip has VeriMed Patient Identification ID Chip Implants being used during Medical Emergencies
March 5th, 2006
An implanted chip in a person would be able to tell emergency workers and doctors a person’s name and contact information as well as any medical conditions. There is another company in Cincinnati Ohio called CityWatcher.com that is using implanted chips at a company for accessing a room.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, there is an “Implant Night” at the Barcelona’s Baja Beach Club. On Tuesday nights customers that come with chip implants don’t wait in line and get their chip scanned. By scanning the customer’s chip it will automatically withdraw the funds from the bank account to pay for the drinks.
The down side to a chip implant that the FDA warns of potential adverse interactions with an MRI scan. The incompatibility can cause the implant to possible heat up and cause the patient to be burned. This poses concern with the safety of this chip implant. What happens if the item malfunctions? This too would be of concern. It just seems like a good idea to keep the chips outside of the body. Maybe a ring or a necklace would be better?
There are currently 80 medical centers that have the scanners to read and detect for the chip. The medical procedure cost $200 to have the rice sized implant put into the patients arm. The good news is that medical staffers and doctors may be more aware of your medical condition and treat the emergency better. The bad news is that it can have a potential risk of a severe burn if a MRI is performed.
Thoughts of what could go wrong come to mind. Would an arm be chopped off for access to secrets for financial gain? Would a person be drugged and the chip removed to steal all their finances? And the person would not have any legal protection because the chip was implanted and it was them that did it, even though maybe they didn’t do it. I think I would rather have someone steal my purse or wallet than my arm! It sounds wonderful in some regards, but the reality is that there is always a criminal element in every aspect of society that would exploit this technology. Whether it is the government imposing your freedom or a criminal group trying to rip you off, it would be bad news eventually.
http://www.bestsyndication.com/Articles ... mplant.htm
Last edited by smadewell on 03-06-2006 02:34 AM, edited 1 time in total.
S.Madewell - "If the truth shall kill a man ... let him die!"
Here we go! V for Vendetta or not the media's ready to turn up the gas and start the pot to boiling toward the Police State. The answer to sex offenders is a bullet in the head in the town square NOT Verichipping them, because we're next!
Why not chip sex offenders?
Yes, it's kind of creepy, says MICHELLE COTTLE. But it works better than what we've got.
12:00 AM CST on Sunday, March 26, 2006
Sometimes inspiration strikes when you least expect it.
For instance, lately I've been reading about the growing popularity of implantable microchips known as Radio Frequency Identification Devices, or RFIDs. Last month, The New York Times ran a trend story about the tiny subset of technogeeks getting "tagged" with RFIDs, enabling them with a wave of the hand to turn on their computers, unlock their cars, commune with their electric toothbrushes, and so on. Now comes a front-page story in The Washington Post about the use of RFIDs as a way for health-care providers to access patients' medical records. Developed to track livestock, each RFID contains a numeric identifier that can be read by a scanner at close range, much like a bar code. Over 6 million of the devices have been implanted in domestic pets, just in case Fido or Fluffy goes missing, and the market for humans seems even more promising. Already, the Mexican government uses the implants to control access to certain offices, and one Ohio-based security firm uses them to limit access to the surveillance videos the company warehouses.
Understandably, privacy advocates are melting down about the possible abuses of such chips, forecasting a dark, dystopian future in which everyone must be tagged in order to obtain such life essentials as a driver's license, bank account, voter registration card or low-fat caramel mochaccino. But it was Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center who really got me to thinking about the ominous Big Brother potential of these devices.
"We're just waiting for the first case where a convicted sex offender on condition of release is required to have a VeriChip implanted," Mr. Rotenberg warned the Post.
At which point I thought: Now there's a technological advance I can get behind.
Since RFIDs are passive identifiers rather than active tracking devices, Mr. Rotenberg apparently envisions a future in which scanners have been installed for private use in enough office buildings, homes, churches, parking garages, restaurants and porn shops to let law enforcement effectively track an individual's every move. But even assuming that the government gets a wild hair and starts installing scanners in schools and rec centers for the express purpose of keeping an eye out for child molesters, what of it? For my money, we'd be better off outfitting most of these guys with something closer in kind to that charming little ankle bracelet Martha Stewart got to wear during her house arrest.
Now before anyone starts freaking out about the slippery slope or about what a gross violation of ex-cons' rights tagging would pose, I want to make two points. One, let's all just admit that, whether wielded by pro-choicers, stem-cell-research opponents or anti-gay-marriage crusaders, the slippery slope argument is kinda lame – the last, desperate refuge of an opposition that can't marshal sufficient stand-alone objections to the specific issue at hand. (Unless we draw a line in the sand now, soon we'll be overrun by an army of lesbian clones demanding to marry their pet Dobermans!) So let's stick to the narrow question of tagging some of the more loathsome varieties of sex offenders.
Fair or not, our current legal system already treats sexual predators differently than other criminals. Anyone convicted of a sex crime can, upon release from prison, look forward to a lifetime of humiliation and restricted freedoms imposed in the name of public safety. Currently, all 50 states have some sort of "Megan's Law" on the books, requiring sex offenders to register their whereabouts with local law enforcement authorities any time they change addresses.
Cities and states across the country are rushing to pass legislation barring sex offenders from living within so many feet of schools, child care centers, parks, playgrounds, bus stops, swimming pools, libraries and any other areas where children congregate. Last year, a group of Texas developers announced plans to create sex-offender-free neighborhoods by requiring all homebuyers to pass a background check and to sign an agreement never to sell to a convicted sex offender. And in 2001, a Texas judge required on-probation sex offenders to post large warning signs in their yards.
Compared to all that, what's a chip in the hand (especially one that wouldn't actively track a perv so much as let police know if he began frequenting, say, P.S. 117 or the boys' restroom at Chuck E. Cheese)?
To clarify, it's not that I'm losing sleep over the emotional pain and suffering of sexual predators, particularly those who target kids. What I do find troubling, however, is the questionable efficacy of some of our preferred perv-tracking tools.
Recently, the Times ran a front-page feature about the unfortunate impact of Iowa's restrictions on where sex offenders may reside. For starters, these no-perv zones are constricting predators' living options to the point that some men have taken to sleeping under bridges or in their vehicles – how's that for enhancing public safety? – while others have congregated in trailer parks and motels just beyond the buffer zone, creating predator hot spots.
More problematically, a growing number of offenders, finding the restrictions too onerous, are choosing to thumb their nose at the system and disappear altogether – presumably without following proper registration protocol at their next port of call. Iowa authorities estimate that three times as many sex offenders are now missing as before the law took effect last fall.
So why shouldn't we work on fine-tuning the technology to keep tabs on a bunch of kiddie molesters? As a nod to the perps' inalienable rights, we could – as Mr. Rotenberg suggested – make tagging a voluntary alternative to longer prison stays. Civil liberties and privacy advocates should, of course, fight for responsible limitations on who could be tagged, where scanners could be placed, and when and by whom someone's files could be accessed. But we shouldn't dismiss the public safety potential of whole areas of technology simply because Rotenberg and Co. fear the approach of the lesbian clones.
Michelle Cottle is a senior editor at The New Republic. Her e-mail address is [email protected].
Why not chip sex offenders?
Yes, it's kind of creepy, says MICHELLE COTTLE. But it works better than what we've got.
12:00 AM CST on Sunday, March 26, 2006
Sometimes inspiration strikes when you least expect it.
For instance, lately I've been reading about the growing popularity of implantable microchips known as Radio Frequency Identification Devices, or RFIDs. Last month, The New York Times ran a trend story about the tiny subset of technogeeks getting "tagged" with RFIDs, enabling them with a wave of the hand to turn on their computers, unlock their cars, commune with their electric toothbrushes, and so on. Now comes a front-page story in The Washington Post about the use of RFIDs as a way for health-care providers to access patients' medical records. Developed to track livestock, each RFID contains a numeric identifier that can be read by a scanner at close range, much like a bar code. Over 6 million of the devices have been implanted in domestic pets, just in case Fido or Fluffy goes missing, and the market for humans seems even more promising. Already, the Mexican government uses the implants to control access to certain offices, and one Ohio-based security firm uses them to limit access to the surveillance videos the company warehouses.
Understandably, privacy advocates are melting down about the possible abuses of such chips, forecasting a dark, dystopian future in which everyone must be tagged in order to obtain such life essentials as a driver's license, bank account, voter registration card or low-fat caramel mochaccino. But it was Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center who really got me to thinking about the ominous Big Brother potential of these devices.
"We're just waiting for the first case where a convicted sex offender on condition of release is required to have a VeriChip implanted," Mr. Rotenberg warned the Post.
At which point I thought: Now there's a technological advance I can get behind.
Since RFIDs are passive identifiers rather than active tracking devices, Mr. Rotenberg apparently envisions a future in which scanners have been installed for private use in enough office buildings, homes, churches, parking garages, restaurants and porn shops to let law enforcement effectively track an individual's every move. But even assuming that the government gets a wild hair and starts installing scanners in schools and rec centers for the express purpose of keeping an eye out for child molesters, what of it? For my money, we'd be better off outfitting most of these guys with something closer in kind to that charming little ankle bracelet Martha Stewart got to wear during her house arrest.
Now before anyone starts freaking out about the slippery slope or about what a gross violation of ex-cons' rights tagging would pose, I want to make two points. One, let's all just admit that, whether wielded by pro-choicers, stem-cell-research opponents or anti-gay-marriage crusaders, the slippery slope argument is kinda lame – the last, desperate refuge of an opposition that can't marshal sufficient stand-alone objections to the specific issue at hand. (Unless we draw a line in the sand now, soon we'll be overrun by an army of lesbian clones demanding to marry their pet Dobermans!) So let's stick to the narrow question of tagging some of the more loathsome varieties of sex offenders.
Fair or not, our current legal system already treats sexual predators differently than other criminals. Anyone convicted of a sex crime can, upon release from prison, look forward to a lifetime of humiliation and restricted freedoms imposed in the name of public safety. Currently, all 50 states have some sort of "Megan's Law" on the books, requiring sex offenders to register their whereabouts with local law enforcement authorities any time they change addresses.
Cities and states across the country are rushing to pass legislation barring sex offenders from living within so many feet of schools, child care centers, parks, playgrounds, bus stops, swimming pools, libraries and any other areas where children congregate. Last year, a group of Texas developers announced plans to create sex-offender-free neighborhoods by requiring all homebuyers to pass a background check and to sign an agreement never to sell to a convicted sex offender. And in 2001, a Texas judge required on-probation sex offenders to post large warning signs in their yards.
Compared to all that, what's a chip in the hand (especially one that wouldn't actively track a perv so much as let police know if he began frequenting, say, P.S. 117 or the boys' restroom at Chuck E. Cheese)?
To clarify, it's not that I'm losing sleep over the emotional pain and suffering of sexual predators, particularly those who target kids. What I do find troubling, however, is the questionable efficacy of some of our preferred perv-tracking tools.
Recently, the Times ran a front-page feature about the unfortunate impact of Iowa's restrictions on where sex offenders may reside. For starters, these no-perv zones are constricting predators' living options to the point that some men have taken to sleeping under bridges or in their vehicles – how's that for enhancing public safety? – while others have congregated in trailer parks and motels just beyond the buffer zone, creating predator hot spots.
More problematically, a growing number of offenders, finding the restrictions too onerous, are choosing to thumb their nose at the system and disappear altogether – presumably without following proper registration protocol at their next port of call. Iowa authorities estimate that three times as many sex offenders are now missing as before the law took effect last fall.
So why shouldn't we work on fine-tuning the technology to keep tabs on a bunch of kiddie molesters? As a nod to the perps' inalienable rights, we could – as Mr. Rotenberg suggested – make tagging a voluntary alternative to longer prison stays. Civil liberties and privacy advocates should, of course, fight for responsible limitations on who could be tagged, where scanners could be placed, and when and by whom someone's files could be accessed. But we shouldn't dismiss the public safety potential of whole areas of technology simply because Rotenberg and Co. fear the approach of the lesbian clones.
Michelle Cottle is a senior editor at The New Republic. Her e-mail address is [email protected].
S.Madewell - "If the truth shall kill a man ... let him die!"
The real goal of the PTBs is to implant the next-generation of Bio-TEK into the masses.[/url] This will allow the PTBs to literally become the givers of pain and pleasure at the press of a button. Social engineering is very time consuming! A lot of hours and manpower has to go into the various methods of operant conditioning that are currently in use. Sure, they could pull a Brave New World and genetically engineer Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, etc. Why go through all the trouble? There's an easier way to get the same results! Bio-TEK implants!
And then what? Well, 50 to 60 years into the Bio-TEK trend the PTBs will replace Bio-TEK implants with the latest A.I. version, which will allow the average Joe to interface with the hive mind, if you will. When? About a century or so from now.
IMO, the proto-types of the various Bio-TEK implants have already been put into test subjects. Just proto-types of the future Bio-TEK being kept under lock and key by the Shadow Guvmint.
Think about it! Artificial Intelligent Bio-TEK that squirms around in your body! Able to evade attempts to capture it! Immediately reporting anyone who attempts to tamper with it! Immediately noticed if it leaves the grid and/or goes off the scope and/or stops transmitting! Mark of the Beast much? Emphasis on beast! Arthur C. Clarke's "brainman" anyone?
BrainGate Neural Interface
Borg Neural Interfaces
And then what? Well, 50 to 60 years into the Bio-TEK trend the PTBs will replace Bio-TEK implants with the latest A.I. version, which will allow the average Joe to interface with the hive mind, if you will. When? About a century or so from now.
IMO, the proto-types of the various Bio-TEK implants have already been put into test subjects. Just proto-types of the future Bio-TEK being kept under lock and key by the Shadow Guvmint.
Think about it! Artificial Intelligent Bio-TEK that squirms around in your body! Able to evade attempts to capture it! Immediately reporting anyone who attempts to tamper with it! Immediately noticed if it leaves the grid and/or goes off the scope and/or stops transmitting! Mark of the Beast much? Emphasis on beast! Arthur C. Clarke's "brainman" anyone?
BrainGate Neural Interface
Borg Neural Interfaces
S.Madewell - "If the truth shall kill a man ... let him die!"