RFID implants: Orwellian concepts get real

Last month, TFM‘s Security Special Report by Amy Milshtein opened with the following few paragraphs:

In Cincinnati, OH, something truly futuristic is happening; radio frequency identification chips (RFIDs) have been embedded into two volunteers. This leads many observers to wonder if an extreme measure like this is the future of security.

“I have my doubts,” says Craig McQuate, director of global security and safety for Waltham, MA-based Modus Link. “It will be a long time before people trust that kind of technology.”

Originally launched as a convenient way to keep pets safe, RFIDs have been implanted in the forearms of two employees from CityWatcher.com. Others have also spotted niches for the pre-WWII era technology. “The military sees RFID applications as a way to store medical records or even to track troops with a GPS,” says Rusty Gibson, general manager, DSX Access Systems of Dallas, TX. “And Mexico is trying it out with some government employees.”

So what does chief executive of CityWatcher.com Sean Darks have to say about the chip in his arm? Despite repeated attempts, he would not return calls, but in an Associated Press article he states, “it’s the same thing as a key card,” and “none of his employees are forced to get the chip to keep their job.”

It’s possible that the next generation of employees will not even be shocked by the perceived invasive nature of technology like RFID. “When you look at Internet sites like MySpace.com and see all of the personal information young people willingly post, you start to think that maybe they wouldn’t bat an eye about this,” says Rob Zivney of Santa Ana, CA-based Hirsch Electronics.

[Click here to read the rest of the story.]

But yesterday on Slashdot, there was a post from a developer who feels the future may be now. Here’s the start of the post from Cliff on Wednesday May 03, @11:45PM from the chips-in-my-head dept:

kramdam asks: “Even with all the talk about privacy and security, there seems to be a growing community of people who are implanting themselves with RFID chips. Being a developer myself, I am intrigued about building applications and solutions that will open my doors, unlock my car, log me on to my computer and control home automation….What do you think are the social, security, privacy, and health risks associated with this? What are the pluses? Would you do it?”

To read the full post with links and comments (or to post your own comments), follow this link.