RFID: A supremely bad idea?

[derby378]

I'm a little wary about the idea to use radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags on consumer goods instead of traditional bar codes. One idea is that every box of cereal, every shirt or blouse, every book, every single item that you buy could come with an embedded RFID microchip.

It's a privacy issue, basically. Do you really want some guy with a handheld scanner on the street to find out what prescriptions you're taking and what you're wearing under your trousers? I find it fairly scary, myself.

[goforit]

1. And Bush wants us to be a patriot and...SHOP!!!

NOT!!!

[derby378]

3. There you go

It's your patriotic duty, after all - and OUR duty to track you. Total Information Awareness, here we come...

[GOPisEvil]

2. When it's to the individual product level, that worries me.

There are companies (Wal-Mart) that use RFID in the boxes used for transport to track inventory as it moves. That seems OK because only the large boxes are tracked, not the individual product. Also, wristbands for the recent South by Southwest festival had RFID embedded in them to prevent counterfieting, which was a huge problem last year. They SAY the RFIDs were scanned only to see if any counterfiets were being used, but ...you never know.

[derby378]

4. For certain security/inventory measures, it's cool

But I agree with you - individual products should be left alone.

[MadHound]

5. I agree with you, it is a horrible invasion of one's privacy

And it is not only folks on the street who can scan you. Imagine that every store you walk into, every vehicle you board can scan you. Your anonymity will be gone. In addition, there are quiet works underway to imbed RFID tags into the money we use.

I am thinking of getting a few test tags and a scanner, just so I can figure out what will disable them, perhaps a hefty magnet or a microwave. One way or the other, I will get rid of them.

[whatelseisnew]

6. Just wait til the 'smart dust' arrives

maybe it is already here

[RamboLiberal]

7. Here's my prediction

And I look at it more as an issue that will further cut jobs. In 5-10 years I predict the majority of cashier jobs will be gone. They're training us now with self-scan checkout. Well, with RFID you won't even have to do that, you'll pass your entire cart or basket through a scanner station, pay via debit/credit or cash at a machine and off you go.

Only jobs left will be stockers, a few floor people, and security. So look for even Wal-Mart to require 25-50% fewer employees.

Think what this will do where in many red states Wal-Mart may be the only big employer left. Guess the cows, pigs and chickens better learn to vote Republican.

[MadHound]

8. Another scary outgrowth of this technology

Is the chipping of humans themselves. It is becoming more and more common to chip your pets, and there have already been a few kids chipped. It wouldn't suprise me if chipping becomes mandatory in schools, just like vaccinations. It will be for the "safety of the children" don'tcha know:eyes:

[andyjackson1828]

9. As soon as RFIDs are on individual products....

Some one will market a zapper and you'll be able to kill all the RFIDs on products you buy. I actually like the idea of being able to bag my groceries as I shop and then get scanned all at once and avoid the checout lines.

This anti-RFID mania is a little reminiscent of the fundies crying about the UPC bar codes being the mark of the beast some 25-30 years ago.

[ex_jew]

11. Re: zappers

I predict that when RFID implanted in tires becomes standard, cars that do not register properly are going to be stopped - it's just like driving without license plates.

Come to think of it, I bet there'll be RFID in license plates. We're doomed !

[RamboLiberal]

12. I ask all DU'ers - doesn't it disturb you at all

that when you frequent self-scan checkout you're taking away another job or two? I was amazed a couple of months ago at a discussion in the Lounge how many DU'ers seemed to have no problem with self-scanning.

And at least in stores I frequent there's no discount for doing the work yourself.

I know it's the way of the future, ala self-serve gas, ATM's etc. I'm probably tilting at windmills.

Sometimes I'm forced to use the self-scan cause they have no other lanes open, but I still find it is slower than having a good checkout clerk who can bag as they scan or a checkout clerk and bagger.

I know I'm considering the jobs I'm costing when I use self-scan. Especially since service jobs may be the big majority of the jobs in this country with all the darn outsourcing.

[phantom power]

10. It's all about regulation and accountability

This technology isn't going away. RFID, implant chips, smart-dust. It's either here, or it's coming soon.

David Brin wrote a great essay about this a few years back. The basic message was: We aren't going to stop this technology. We have two choices of strategy:

1) Embrace it. Make sure that private citizens have access to it, as well as govt/military. Make sure that it's use by the govt is monitored, and that there are public checks and balances that govern it's use.

2) Try to suppress it: this will mostly keep it out of the hands of the public, and probably won't keep it from the govt or military. This is the worst possible outcome. It's use will be secret, and have few or no regulations.

Wiretapping technology is a good model. The technology exists, but it's use is governed by checks and balances. Law enforcement can't just tap somebody's phone without demonstrating to a third party (a judge) that there's a compelling reason. And the tap-ee must eventually be informed.

(or, at least that was true until the PATRIOT act)

[derby378]

13. Concede, Hell!

First of all, RFID chips are made out of plastic. Plastics, last time I heard, are made out of petroleum-based materials - in short, oil. Oil is not a renewable resource; there's only so much oil to find around the globe. Thus, RFID chips don't strike me as being particularly environmentally-friendly.

Second, the PATRIOT Act demonstrates why privacy will vanish with the advent of RFIDs. There won't be any public checks and balances that are good enough to counter privacy violations.

Third, I heard something on NPR today dealing with pharmacies and RFIDs. If each bottle of prescription meds is tagged with a chip, my handheld scanner will be able to determine within seconds if you're taking Ritalin, Zoloft, Valium, Thorazine, or Oxycontin. The solution? Hand the meds to patients in anti-RFID bags equipped with even more chips that render RFID scanners useless. (There's a simple solution here - don't use RFIDs in medications.)

Fourth - what are you people wearing? Let me swipe this thing... *BEEP* Satin pink hipsters, size 6, Maidenform. Yummy.... *BEEP* Navy blue thong, size 4, Abercrombie & Fitch. Nice...

Hopefully, by now you get the idea. This stuff scares me.

[derby378]

14. Just to finish the thought...

*BEEP* AHA! You're wearing underwear purchased from Democratic Underground! TRAITOR! Alert Homeland Security!

Hopefully CafePress is paying attention...

[phantom power]

15. I disagree

>> Second, the PATRIOT Act demonstrates why privacy will vanish with the advent of RFIDs. There won't be any public checks and balances that are good enough to counter privacy violations.

You seem to think that we can succeed at preventing the technology, but we're doomed to failure if we try to establish checks on the technology.

All I can say is, I think you've got it exactly backwards: history as I see it shows that nobody has ever prevented technology, but we have successfully instituted accountability in government.

I'm not saying we're guaranteed to succeed, but there's no actual reason to believe we're doomed to fail either.