In a fine article by Declan McCullagh , at CNet.com, we read that the new Radio Frequency Identification chips (RFID), which are scheduled to start being placed on pallets of goods at supermarkets or Discount chains, are now being promoted as something that should be implanted under your skin as a device to identify you
when you go to a cash machine, or instead of a credit card. This sounds like something from a dark, William Gibson tech fantasy, but is in fact under way now.

The full story appears at :
http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5111637.html?tag=nefd_top
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Also, another link about RFID is http://www.nocards.org

I guess, if you tried to run from the RIAA, the chip would make it easier to hunt you down :).

~Code

The Mark of the Beast. on the right hand or forhead. I will never ever agree to something like that.

This is downright Orwellian. I know some people who think that "chipping" your kid is a good idea, in case they are ever kidnapped. I know a few people who have pets with chips. But this is scary. How very "Demolition Man."

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/11/20/164731.shtml - another perspective on this ominous development. In short, even some conservatives are alarmed by this.

I wonder how long it will be before some government, either ours or some other country's, tries to make this mandatory. Sorry, but this just smacks of fascism. "Where are your papers?" will become, "I need to scan your chip."

Everyone needs to pull out the Bible and read about the Mark of the Beast. This technology is predicted to be made mandatory in the future! Do not take it!

RocketGib: Here it is. Scary stuff.

Revelation 13, 11-18
"Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666."

Can we do without the religious fantasy?
This is a stupid idea without all of the religious prattle.
Mark of the beast......sheesh.

They can keep it. There's no way I'll ever have anything surgically implanted in me, my children, my wife... or even my dog!

I'm sorry, but I value my freedom, my privacy, my religion, myself and my family too much to even remotely consider anything of this nature.

For those who believe it's important. for those who don't. ignor it don't demean it if you want others to respect your beliefs

"The Mark of the Beast. on the right hand or forhead."

Wow that's crazy. I always figured that this dispute would turn into an all out war and thousands of filesharers would be dragged out into the streets and shot, but I never suspected this could be end times. If ever someone gets this to be made mandatory, I'm moving to Canada. Who wants to come with me? At least there the gaming technology is as good, if not better then in the US, and the economy is a lot more stable. Just remember, according to end times in the Bible, anybody who takes the mark of the beast will damned to spend all eternity roasting in a jet-fule fire in hell. Congrats Cary-Sue, your Satan's new chew toy!

All's fair in love and war. --the Socio-reject

I bet no one has thought about how this could create a crime epidemic. With a chip implated just under the skin, you could easily take a knife and cust it out. People are always quick to make a profit with having any regard for reality.

"Congrats Cary-Sue, your Satan's new chew toy!"

LOL )

Onward to Canada!

RFID Chip + The passing of FTAA = No freedom. Think about it, the neo-nazi corporations will use this chip to their advantage and bribe our screwed government into making this a requirement to people.

~PyroHazard
FTAA: "Freedom Isnt Free"

I agree compmore.
"For those who believe, no proof is necessary,
For those who do not believe, no proof is possible."

This is just wrong. For one I will NEVER get tagged, chipped, or what ever. It is a security, health, and wellbeing hazord. My siblings, cousing, parents, grand parents, aunts, uncles, and heck anyone that I can pursuade or force out of getting tagged, will not get tagged. Why? because, it will result in a rise in crime, killings, abductions, and other unauthorised bad things. hootinguzi:
with the chip, they could potentially track where I am, and it would be very easy to steel from me, and i don't like that, also, I don't believe in digital currency. It just isn't safe, and isn't as good as the good old green back.

OH BTW....

Clerk: "That'll be $20.00 for that Britney Spears CD. Please scan your RFID chip"

Customer: "WHAT?! I have to pay a whole arm for that damn CD?!"

Hi I'm new!

Anyway, what about people who die with a chip implanted? Their bodies will have to be desecrated to remove the chip or risk having some sick person loot their grave and take it for himself...

i'm not too concerned. There are many other easier more cost effective ways of identifying people. Do you really think anyone wants to spend that much on us. They don't care that much. Hence the drop in stock price. Besides what does it matter if they put cameras on every corner and monitor our communications.

Will we each have our own stations? Will Clear Channel own us?

Do we need FCC licenses?

Do we have to pay royalties to the RIAA?

I remember hearing about this back in 1993 when I was still in high school. My good friend's mother is a very religious person and when she told us all about this stuff it scared the bejesus out of us then. I guess I kind of thought it was kind of hokey-sounding. Then as the years went on, I heard more and more about it. Especially when I read from Bill Cooper's book 'Behold the Pale Horse'. It was a very good book, by the way. He talked all about this chip and how it is considered the "mark of the beast." There are people out there who think that it would make life more efficient. I think that if we were to protest it now, and get word out about the the privacy issues, people would be prepared to say no and convince others of the same when it is really pushed on us. Religious groups also talk of cameras installed in our television sets so that the govt can see what we are doing in our own homes. I wonder how long this will take before this is implemented.

If this happens, I will just buy my tv used. Otherwise, I am going somewhere far, far away. Hopefully my degree will allow me to do this.

Greetings Luinefirithion, thats an interesting point. Probably one the creators didn't consider or purposely ignored. If they weren't removed, damage to graveyards could increase exponentially if these become implemented large-scale.

These chips could generate a whole new brand of crimes, killing, theft, of chips from arms.

The very concept is extremely disturbing and I hope all will see it like that, but I doubt it. Some people lack the foresight, or simply don't care. And theres alwayst the percent of the population that wants the newest thing, whether or not its detrimental.

Suikio

And what flavor will these chips be? Smooth or ridges?

Ever see minority report?

"The surgical procedure, which is performed with local anesthetic, embeds a 12-by-2.1mm RFID tag in the flesh of a human arm."

"Most RFID tags have no batteries."

I'm not letting anyone implant anything in my arm whereas they can track me first off.

Second off, MOST RFID tags have no batteries...what is this a monthly checkup thing where you have to go see how charged your battery is? There is no way in hell that I'm going to have a battery implanted in my arm to suppliment the power to do that.

Last, the technology seems to be flawed, because all it will take is someone messing with a radio and finding the correct frequency, then figuring out how to determine the 64-digit pin.

Here's the fun part, if you don't you are a terrorist Welcome 7 years maybe ...

"Religious groups also talk of cameras installed in our television sets so that the govt can see what we are doing in our own homes."

Go read 1984 by George Orwell. Pretty soon we'll have thought police roaming the streets, and our children will denounce us for what kind of shoes we wear and because we talk in our sleep. I would simply never trust anybody with the ability to track, monitor or in any way spy on me. The best way to go through life is to respect all, love a few and trust no one but yourself. Good luck, --SHades

I'D DIE FIRST! they aren't gonna implant nothing under my skin!

That is sick as well as surreal. People would fall for it though. People would let this thing be put in their arm.

Also the crooks would be trying to steal your chip alot of deaths etc.. coming with that.. Sounds like something out of a Sci-Fi movie!

My boyfriend watches Sci-Fi all the time. He says that it will prepare him for the future crap that is coming. I used to think he was sort of looney. But now I'm starting to think he is right. Also, to socio-reject. I have read "1984", and you are right. Its amazing how much insight that guy had... The guy who wrote 'Behold the Pale Horse', is dead now and he was shot by police that were dressed in civilian clothes who entered his property.I think it was last year or maybe this one. He always said that if anything ever happens to him, that we would know who did it. They also tried to run him off the road once before his book came out. It caused him to lose a leg! You should read that book. That one is just as scary as '1984'.

Also, death 123, you are right about people actually having it done. My friend is all about efficiency and I think she would have it done. She does everything online anymore; banking, renews books from the library, automatic bill payment, monthly financing, shopping and everything else that makes it quick and easy. I always tell her that they make it seem like it is a good thing, but I don't think that they even care about making things easier for the public. They have a bigger plan. SHe thinks I am paranoid though. She is also someone who thinks that Congress wouldn't let certain things happen that would be too far-fetched. SHe says that someone always steps in and puts their foot down. But I say look around and tell me if you see someone putting their foot down about all of these stupid bills that are being passed. They certainly are not good for the public. I guess she doesn't want to worry about things that the rest of do. I guess that is our job.

"Ever see minority report?" Exactly what I was thinking. Or like the tracking methods they were using in the x-files. At first they will say that its totally optional....but then they will be strongly recommended....then required......wtf.

Sounds almost like one of those job chips from Futurama, except there credit cards. Oh also no way in hell would I ever get something like that done to me.

I will NEVER EVER allow one of these things to be implemented in me!!!!!! I will run and fight with all my heart if I half too to escape to another country!!!!!!

No they would not have batteries. The would be like the electronic tags stores use. A signal is passed through it and the result is measured to read a number. The should be pretty harmless. Depending on the materials used. Given the history of mass production by these big corps the cheapest crap posible would be used when they made them in the millions. Not the mention the risks of staff infection and your body rejecting the material. One would have to be pretty retarded to even take the risk. Finger prints make good indentifiers. Retina scans, DNA, and all that other sci-fi stuff are good identifiers too, and a whole lot cheaper and safer than stuffing a sliver of metal in your skin. Not to mention where they wanted to recognize you they would need to flood the area with radio waves. We really don't need more microwaves passing through us. Its bad enough everyone and their brother has a cell phone. Microwaves do have a heating effect on water and sense we are mostly water we are suseptable. The FCC sets regulations but that doesn't help change the high rates of cancer in certain radiowave flooded areas. Now with all the blue tooth devices coming out they wont need to implant peaces of medal to ifentify us we will gladly carry them on our person. We can all have our own PDA, cell, media player and you name it. That way the identifiers will have batteries. Actually the majority of people in this country can be tracked almost anywhere. When they use a cell phone they bounce their signals off different towers and all those towers need to do is keep logs and they can triangulate your signal anywhere the towers reach. I wouldn't worry about anyone intentionally implanting identifiers in you, just watch out for the next toy they give you.