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Don't let anyone put a microchip in you.

cnn.com — They call it 'tagging humans with microchips'. CityWatcher.com, a provider of surveillance equipment, attracted little notice itself -- until a year ago, when two of its employees had glass-encapsulated microchips with miniature antennas embedded in their forearms.

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  • jollyholly, on 10/10/2007, -5/+236If the question is "Microchips in humans: High-tech helpers or Big Brother surveillance?", I'm going to go with "Big Brother surveillance".


    • Albionshores, on 10/10/2007, -23/+6It needn't be an either or choice, both focus on the individual. If government focussed on business instead, everything perceivably *positive* that can be attained from Real ID or chipping would be achievable without trampling on anybody's rights.
      • NSMike, on 10/23/2007, -2/+42It's also achievable with a fob on my keychain rather than under my skin.
        • etruscan, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12Apparently a lot of people agree with you. Their site has crumbled under the media pressure.
          http://www.citywatcher.com/
        • Albionshores, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10A fob on a keychain with information on it that goes on which database? Nobody needs to have that information on you. A database of individuals is simply not necessary.
      • harryrick, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0You mean a fob on your keychain which could be stolen? Not for me thanks...I'm pretty sure my life is fine without having a chip under my skin or a fob.
    • BelXul, on 10/10/2007, -0/+26RFID and implantable microchips were also covered in a British documentary called "Suspect Nation", along with a number of other related 'Big Brother' technologies and laws. If you are interested in more information about it, feel free to check it out.

      http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4839556520925774502
      • Toupee, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5This is all just furthering my notion that there will eventually be a great war between humans and cyborgs.
      • Ap31r0n, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Thanks for the link
    • TechnoRabbit, on 11/14/2007, -4/+24I'm so tired of people who miss the point of 1984 and just do the whole 'Big Brother is watching you' angle. It's a book about controlling people, mainly through taking away their ability to speak or think. The surveillance was just a means to an end.
      • ricree, on 11/14/2007, -3/+13Yes, but it's an absolutely essential one.
        • TechnoRabbit, on 11/14/2007, -4/+9No, I think it's far more essential that they control the language. You can't form bad thoughts if you have no concepts to form them with.
          • Niten, on 11/14/2007, -4/+2I've never seen any evidence to support that. Sure, playing around with the language can affect public perception – this is what all politicians and PR folks do to some degree – but it's not going to disable people's independent thought processes. I don't need to literally think the word "bad" in any particular language in order to understand that something is wrong.
          • TechnoRabbit, on 11/14/2007, -2/+7Yes, but it rather limits your ability to communicate the thought to others.
          • catullus, on 11/14/2007, -5/+2"far more essential"... uhh... last time i checked the concept of "essential" was binary. i.e. something cannot be more or less essential than another essential thing
      • celkin, on 11/14/2007, -3/+0Big Brother is watching you masturbate.
      • hiphoc, on 11/14/2007, -3/+3Exactly. And it all started with the term Politically correct. Which came from Stalin just to let u know. Why are people in this so called free country being indoctrinated in a Stalinist mind set. Stalin said the best censorship is self censorship. What is happening now is that people are watching their words cause they don't want to offend anyone. Now the Neocons are using the term "HATE SPEECH" on anything that opposes Bush or their Bomb the World agenda. Its all about controlling people by controlling thoughts. Before u woke up this morning, u had a thought. Before u do anything your brain thinks a thought. So these jackasses want to control your speech which is the outward form of thought which then leads to action which is the physical form of thought. The book 1984 can be a warning or a road map for tyranny. Its up to us to make that decision.
    • drakethegreat, on 11/14/2007, -4/+19I will sooner die then let anything like that touch me. I'm already attempting to avoid any businesses that use them in products. I DO NOT WANT TO BE TRACKED WITHOUT YOU TELLING ME ASSHOLES!
      • zybch, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5I don't want to be tracked even if they DO tell me!
        Nobody has the right to do that ***** as it concerns my person or my behavior unless I give my specific consent, and telling me that they're doing it IS NOT MY CONSENT!
      • zombo, on 11/14/2007, -3/+1Like anyone gives a ***** what you're upto moron.
        • DarkIIIusion, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Apparently those dudes who implant the chip do...
    • microchp, on 10/10/2007, -5/+3Either way, I think it is really cool. We will be able to monitor the movements of all our neighbors and really cool websites will start popping up.

      "See who is banging who based on our tracking of people in xyz city!". I want to make the first website to show where people go and what they do. it will be really easy once everyone is tagged.

      Another nifty feature will be the ability for real predators to track who has how many children, where they are and when they are left unattended. No more "casing the house" or mistakenly entering a home when the wrong people are there. You will know exactly when mom is trying to relax in the bathtub, when dad is at work and where the kids are playing about. This will also be a great opportunity to track politicians and see who they are meeting up with. We can track who is getting money from who for what kick-backs or law changing events. ;-) No more guessing who is payed by what lobby groups.

      Also, if I get tired of someone, I can simply negate signals from their chip and they can not buy anything once paper money is rendered obsolete from our lovely fiat currency.

      Oh, and now people can check up on where their spouses are. That means visits to the "massage parlor" will be cut off. lol

      Most important, we can now track how "regular" people are. I want to know how often I take a crap throughout the day or week. This is a perfect way to get that data and run some trending to further calculate how much more or less fiber I need.

      It will be easy to do. Simply ping the chips from the existing cellular networks after a bit of an upgrade. I want this in place by 2010. This kicks ass!
      • DarkIIIusion, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Dig me down... but lawlz @ the dude's comment...
    • Jabertsohn, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3RFID chips are very short range. Unlike the GPS on your mobile phone...
      • hiphoc, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2Wrong, the signal can be boosted.
        • Jabertsohn, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Boosted?

          My point is that there are already FAR more effective ways to track you. If mass surveillance ever comes into place (unlikely considering the extremely high cost of implementation and upkeep paired with the fact it has little to no purpose), it will not be done via RFID chips.
        • Jabertsohn, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Boosted?

          My point is that there are already FAR more effective ways to track you. If mass surveillance ever comes into place (unlikely considering the extremely high cost of implementation and upkeep paired with the fact it has little to no purpose), it will not be done via RFID chips.
        • microchp, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Over two years ago, I was standing right next to some people that reprogrammed a few RFID chips from 100 feet away. Obviously, if we can reprogram them from 100 feet away, then tracking them can be done from much further. We changed the tag so that became something else that would have been cheaper. The technology has not really changed much in the last couple of years, only the naming. People were scared of the name RFID, so it was concluded that the name RFID would no longer be used.
    • Frnnkdlxx, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1But DAAAAD! I want the latest GoogleUni-V X version!!!! It's the only model that allows quantum calculations in 3million millisecoonds!!!! DAAAA AAAAD!!! BUT! It's the only way Stacy said she'd date a guy wiiiith! AND SHE BUMPED IN TO ME TODDAAAAAY! We're obviously in looove! You don't understand what its like to be my age!!!!!
  • osc1882, on 10/10/2007, -31/+20Burn in hell Big Brother. Also this crap was invented as a way to let some people do things ( like open a safe ) and others not. It's to bad it's going to be very easy to spoof this crap.
    • fjc8, on 10/10/2007, -4/+37It's a good thing we have osc1882, digg's resident expert on two-way authentication systems that might be implemented in chips.
      • 16777216, on 10/10/2007, -2/+7Show me an encryption/authentication method that hasn't been cracked/compromised.
        • Sidzilla, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3Well, Vampires can't enter a house uninvited.
    • Slyer, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1The thing is, if you need a key code to get into a door and only the security guard has the key, you have to keep him alive to get the code.
      If he is micro chipped, you can just waste him and use the arm of his dead body, suddenly there is no reason to keep him alive.
  • OBKenobi, on 10/10/2007, -10/+165Basically, every dystopian scenario from classic sci-fi is now becoming reality, and it is going to get worse thanks to our corrupt governments and corporations.

    Yeah, you keep laughing at tin foil hats, but we now live in a world were microwave weapons, and millimeter-wave radar that can penetrate walls do officially exist. What the hell is so funny about tin foil hats anymore? They're going to become a necessity!
    • sabach, on 10/10/2007, -1/+20I think lead would work better, now there's a market niche nobody has jumped on yet.
      • Wartyboskfapped, on 10/10/2007, -1/+36Gold foil is the best, actually. MIT did a study that suggests tin or aluminum foil hats actually work like an antenna & amplify radio waves.
      • edisonoside, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Maybe we should add lead back into wall paint?
    • stephdau, on 10/10/2007, -2/+18It's not just scientists who inspire themselves from fiction. It's an "interesting" vicious cycle: author writes an Orwellian scenario, gov sees it and goes "hey, we hadn't thought of that, good idea!"
      • HonoredMule, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9I laughed at that, briefly. Then I stopped laughing because it rings true and we have a society of bright and creative authors with a fixation on negativity.
      • OBKenobi, on 10/10/2007, -4/+8No, sci-fi authors, good ones at least, write about the inevitable, or the probable. It is a warning NOT to follow the path that would lead to the future they describe.

        But, no one ever listens, until it is too late. Is anyone passing legislation to stop high-tech spying, or the use of "non-lethal" energy weapons? No, as a matter of fact, your so-called freedom-loving Democrats are about to pass a bill EXPANDING Bush's eavesdropping powers.

        How about the UK? They're even more screwed up, cameras everywhere, and a government that can brand anyone a terrorist and hold them indefinitely without trial. The US has done some of that too.

        It doesn't matter that much yet, but lets say the economy took a turn for the worse, then you'll start to see how little freedom you really have. That's when they'll start turning the screws, to keep you quiet and obedient, and keep their profits up.
      • hiphoc, on 11/14/2007, -1/+2Has anyone heard about Homeland Security hiring Sci Fi authors to write scenarios about terror. Or that our gov regularly has authors write scenarios about terror. Is life imitating art or art imitating life, you let me know OK.
    • JudgeMonkey, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8there was a story on digg a while ago where the finding was that tinfoil hats actually made it easier to send and receive transmissions. The hat acting as an antenna
      • zybch, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2A coper mesh hood would probably be better, so long as its is earthed at all times.
    • sarjuva, on 10/10/2007, -1/+9Electromagnetic pulse bombs will be most effective method to fight microchip implanting once it's been implemented. They break electric circuits on RFID chips with in "blast" radius, as well as other electronic components. Forget tinfoil hats, build Faraday cages.
    • eyefork, on 10/10/2007, -1/+11It might be time to start up a Faraday cage clothing line. They already make the wallets: http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/security/8cdd/
    • TheDanderson, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0I don't think tin foil would be very effective at protecting you from a microwave weapon, it'd just burst into flames.
    • hiphoc, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6I blame us, the people. Come on, we got a minimum of 180 million adults in this country going along with this *****. People get the govt they deserve. If the American people just stop playing along with the game this ***** is over. But as long as people blindly trust the cops, corrupt judges and other "officials" we are *****. Human beings have the potential of being evil, cruel and abusive. Just because someone puts on a 3000$ suit and gets on TV making speeches doesn't make them good. Just because some on puts on a uniform doesn't make them good. They are human with the capacity for doing wrong. People now have been brainwashed to love politicians and people in uniform. They are just like u and me. They cry, the do bad *****, they help out their friends. That's why power must be curtailed. Do not let anyone put a chip in you. There will be a potential for abuse. Just think, what would your grandparents do? Follow the wisdom of your ancestors who fought evil and tyranny. ***** it, just wake the ***** up everyone.
  • acidkore, on 10/10/2007, -6/+43Tinfoil hats are not the most efficient way of doing what they do.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage
    • Wartyboskfapped, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1You are correct, sir!
    • mrminty, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2My house in 20 years will be a Faraday House.
  • Rosamilia, on 10/10/2007, -3/+25Phillip J. Fry approves of this message.
  • dnafrequency, on 10/10/2007, -24/+11RFID chips can be two way communication.
    Want to be controlled physically, emotionally?
    Want to be eliminated?
    NEVER EVER take the chip.
    • rokinroj, on 10/10/2007, -0/+12I don't think they are wiring them to the brain just yet. These chips are only capable of storing and transmitting minuscule amounts of data. I'm curious as to how they can control you and/or eliminate you?
      • edisonoside, on 10/10/2007, -5/+4carrying information is just the start..with advances in technology and the war on terror the chips will be mandatory and they will better need to "update" the chips to better help in the war..Chips that will sedate...chips that will stop tress-passers from entering a restricted area...chips that will transmit to headquarters what you put into your body...I can go on and on....t
  • coffeebot, on 10/10/2007, -11/+116i can haz mark of the beast?
    • jj555298, on 10/10/2007, -4/+11six threescore! har.
    • CiXeL, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9creeeeepy
      though not as much as the lotion in the basket cat
    • eyefork, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Finally a "i can has" joke that is relatively funny
  • Tranced0nline, on 10/10/2007, -18/+3This is kind of cool, but wouldn't a fingerprint scanner be easier and more secure?
  • scabbers, on 10/10/2007, -2/+25I'm sure they'd love to combine rfid, cctv and taser technology. Having the CCTV camera tell you off becomes a lot more sinister if they can detect exactly who you are, and maybe flip a bit that makes you announce yourself as a target to TASER DRONES!
    • OBKenobi, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3Have you ever played HL2?
    • desqjockey, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Dont need rfid, they have facial recognition software.
  • slayerab, on 11/14/2007, -3/+13And I thought that tagging was for pigeons...
  • CDoug03, on 10/10/2007, -6/+33But, but, but RFID's make me feel safe at night, knowing that some perv in a van can follow me around and track me everywhere I go.
    • nicepants, on 10/10/2007, -5/+11Except...the only way he could follow or track you is if he was within about 6" of that chip.
    • MonkCanatella, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Some perv in a van CAN follow you wherever you go.
    • Jabertsohn, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1You don't need an RFID chip to be followed around.
  • RedHeadedFreak, on 10/10/2007, -16/+62Digg users suck at creating headlines. Just tell me about the story, don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do.
    • Wartyboskfapped, on 10/10/2007, -3/+40Now you're telling us what to do.
      • CaspianXth, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12The whole purpose of having comments is to state opinion. Headlines should be neutral. There's a big difference.
  • merlingen, on 11/14/2007, -28/+6I support the mandatory chipping of all you assholes. Now who do I have to vote for to make that happen?
    • IheartZombies, on 10/10/2007, -2/+12Anyone who will make money from it.
      • kingsaliva, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8In other words, any of the current mainstream presidential candidates.
    • drakethegreat, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3I support the mandatory execution of people who sit on digg saying things they know no one here likes to here. I'm not even pro death penalty so that should tell you how much I dislike your line of thinking.
  • ourhomeplanet, on 10/10/2007, -9/+14Big Brother is Watching You
    • Kyan, on 10/10/2007, -2/+12Big Brother is Watching YouTube
      • Atomic1fire, on 10/10/2007, -3/+1Bigbrother is probably on youtube
        /cause its the name of.. a.. tvshow
        never mind the joke
  • CaspianXth, on 10/10/2007, -36/+16Microchips in humans! EVERYBODY PANIC! Big Brother is watching you and controlling your mind!!!

    How ridiculous. I wear an RFID tag to enter my place of work, as do many Americans. Is this any different? A little because it's actually embedded in their body, but this wasn't forced on them by some Big Brother Orwellian government conspiracy. It was their employer. If they didn't like it, they could quit.

    People keep wishing that these conspiracy theories are true so they can have something to rise up against and feel important. Please take off your tinfoil hats and come back to reality.
    • rhabd0mancer, on 10/10/2007, -1/+30"Is this any different?"

      Yes, you can take off the tag when you leave work.
    • gavenbanster, on 10/10/2007, -1/+16Huge frickin difference, man. When I'm done with work, I can my id card off and do as I please. I can't really take my arm now, can I?
    • NSResponder, on 10/10/2007, -2/+11So, if I want to break into your office, I can just steal your tag today. Would you really prefer having someone slice open your arm instead?

      This is an exceedingly bad idea.

      -jcr
      • CaspianXth, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Who cares? In a free society, an employer should be allowed to use this technology on consenting employees. The government forcing this on others is another matter entirely and one does not necessarily lead to the other. My point about my badge is that it's a way for my employer to ensure I have clearance to high-security areas. Does that end in the logical conclusion that the big bad government will come in and require it for all citizens? Of course not! So why should this technology be any different!
    • eyebits, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12>If they didn't like it, they could quit.

      And, if the requirement for "tagging" becomes universal quitting would mean you are destined to live on the streets because you would only have the option to work "tagged' or have no work. Oh, and while we are at it, all financial transactions require that you are tagged...we need tracking for tax purposes and to make sure you aren't engaged in terrorist activities and for the sake of giving you the best customer service. Opt out of the tag and you have opted out of any means to purchase food, clothing or shelter.

      It isn't about tin foil hats... it is about being able to draw a logical conclusion from a starting point. Vigilance is required to ensure that the worst of the possibilities never become reality.

      • CaspianXth, on 10/10/2007, -6/+4Listen to yourself! You jump from two employees being tagged to enter high-security areas to a universal tag requirement for all work and financial transactions! This isn't a "logical conclusion" at all! This is the epitome of technophobic hysteria! Get a grip!
        • jgzman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Tell me again, what is it that you need your SSN for?
  • renegade420, on 10/10/2007, -12/+5Foreign objects such as a microchip in the body may result in serious consequences like infection or inflammation.
    • BelXul, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6While any foreign object in the body has the possibility of causing infection/inflammations, where these chips are concerned, I'd be more concerned about the long term effects of contstantly subjecting a specific area of the body to radio waves time and time again. It's not good for you.
      • charlieyocum, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6The implant is not powered and transmitting 24/7, that would make it even easier to spoof. It's powered by the electromagnetic field of the scanner, so exposure is only as long as briefly putting your arm in the scanner. I'm sure you'd log up hours using it everyday over years and years, but I doubt it'd be anything to seriously worry about.
    • YourDoom123, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9you do realize that radio waves are EVERYWHERE right? we're continually bathed in them. in fact, that static on your tv when theres no other signal is exactly that: random radiowaves.

      not all electromagnetic waves cause cancer; it takes at least the power of an ultraviolet wave in order to actually cause damage to the cell. Radio waves, power waves, infrared waves, and even visible light just don't have the energy to do the damage.
    • eyefork, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1So thats what she was talking about...
  • crazymonkey1, on 10/10/2007, -30/+3Wow, you guys are paranoid. This looks like it could be a great idea, and nobody really has to worry unless they have a good reason not to be tracked(partaking in illegal activities maybe?) I think we could curve gang violence, theft, and even murder with these chips. Think of all the innocent people that wouldn't go to jail because of a chip that gave an instant alibi if they weren't shown being in that area at that time. Not to mention all the lost people, children, and even pets that will be reclaimed using this technology. Yea, the government is controlling, but as populations get larger, more people become malicious. I am for this technology.
    • DirtySnachez, on 10/10/2007, -7/+7..with rainbow gumdrops and candy floss clouds. dick.
    • EricCiccone, on 10/10/2007, -7/+14I think that statement should take away your right to vote. You're the type that will stand by idly as our country gets turned into a dictatorship.
      • crazymonkey1, on 10/10/2007, -7/+3No, I can honestly say I will not stand idly by. But what I'd like to know, is how having a positive opinion about a "controversial" technology forfeits my right to vote. I really haven't seen much evidence against it other than "big brother" conspiracy theories, and telling me I don't deserve to vote isn't very convincing either.
        • BrapAllgood, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0This is what will be known as 'the butterknife warrior" soon enough.
        • 35263526, on 10/10/2007, -3/+10Look at the PATRIOT Act; specifically, look at the abuses of it that have come out.

          Give the government power and it _will_ be abused by someone somewhere along the line. Furthermore, given that you can be jailed for carry around bits of plant in the United States, can you really be sure that you're not doing something illegal? Logic isn't really a major part of legislature nowadays.
      • BelXul, on 10/10/2007, -2/+8I don't agree with crazymonkey about these chips, however I do not believe that difference of opinion should disqualify his voting privelage. If it does, how does that make people who agree RFID is a bad thing any better than people who want to put a chip in everyone?
    • Sornos, on 10/10/2007, -12/+3Please, my good paranoid sirs, tell me how this turns out to be a dictatorship? Just because they know where you are, it doesn't mean they have the right to control you. Besides, most of this is passive, they only actually use it until you go missing or something else. Furthermore, who gives a crap if some employee watches some red dot that represents you, blip around a map?
  • halavais, on 10/10/2007, -2/+29Do you get to keep the key to the vault when you quit, or do they expect you to open up your forearm for them?
    • jrock08, on 10/10/2007, -1/+19All they would have to do is take your RFID number off of the list of accepted numbers...
    • eyefork, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Id prefer them to take the thing out. Put me to sleep and cut my arm open if they have to. Or skip all that and get an MRI
      • MonkCanatella, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Ouch at removing it by getting an MRI.
  • beastieboy13, on 10/10/2007, -6/+20Yeah, anyone think it could possibly be the mark of the beast?
    • NSResponder, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17I'm not superstitious at all, but any prospective employer who even asked me to do this would get my fist upside his head.

      -jcr

    • MeMongo, on 10/10/2007, -15/+6No, because the mark of the beast is as real as Frankenstein's monster. They are both in a book and are based on the writer's imagination and not based on facts
    • sabach, on 10/10/2007, -4/+8It's pretty widely thought that the "mark of the beast" was a reference to the Roman Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar. There's no denying the man was a "beast".

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero
    • planofd2149, on 10/10/2007, -4/+9This may not be THE mark, but it is a precursor to introduce the technology. Those who do not believe in what "a book" says about it would be expected to believe the great deception coming that will lure all of the other sheep into thinking that this tagging thing is a great idea. Soon you will not be able to work without a national ID number (May 2008 see http://www.nonationalid.com ), nor will you be able to travel freely. As that is accepted then you will no longer be able to make purchases or get medical treatment without the ID. So...as a matter of convenience this microchip implant will be the best way to carry this number with you. Then legislation making it mandatory and so on.... So believe this is a good thing if you want, but if you want the truth about it, look at the history books. what is the next step after registration? Ask the Jews. America land of the free??? Not for long.
      • dmbohn, on 10/10/2007, -3/+0didn't READid get rejected in the senate a few days ago?
      • sabach, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6You already have what amounts to a national ID number and you already can't work or drive in America without it. Do you know what it is?
  • p51d007, on 10/23/2007, -3/+58Microchips in humans...........this will probably go down in recorded history, that for the first
    time, the civil libertarians & fundamentalist Christians are on the same side of a debate....LOL
    • Frnnkdlxx, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5We have Alex Jones, but what will our children have. just remember, the people who unveiled this have had hundreds of years to wait and prepare. they're not worried....
  • richgustavson, on 10/10/2007, -2/+32I can almost guarantee the military will be using microchips on all their soldiers in the very near future.
    • etruscan, on 10/10/2007, -2/+13If it means the ability to track the location of your troops and save their lives... that's one thing. If it means tracking your office employees movements for the sake of "security", that's another.
      • jjesusfreak01, on 10/10/2007, -1/+17its as easy as having the chips in their uniforms, armor, or even their dog-tags. to have something powerful enough to allow the military to precisely track their soldiers movements, it would probably have to be larger than something implantable in the body. if you want it for identification, dog-tags have worked just fine for the last 50 years or so (im not sure how long).
      • postalblowfish7, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1where do you draw the line? can you?
    • BrapAllgood, on 10/10/2007, -3/+5You can completely guarantee it:

      http://www.digg.com/hardware/Pentagon_to_implant_microchips_in_soldiers_brains
    • hobba, on 10/10/2007, -6/+0Well, soldiers seem to accept worse stuff, so I cant see how they'll reject it!
      Worse stuff such as "I serve my country, even knowing that war on Iraq is wrong"
    • OBKenobi, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4Well, the US Air Force already gives mind-altering stimulatants to pilots (which resulted in some Canadians being repeatedly bombed in Afghanistan), microchips won't be a big stretch. They might as well add drug-dispensers to the microchips, and nuke Canada to get it over with already.
    • Frnnkdlxx, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2they already do use them. my cousins in special forces, its mandatory for them. just go to infowars.com you idiots
  • gavenbanster, on 10/10/2007, -2/+17That is so not cool. In terms of intrusiveness, I'd take an alien anal probe before I let them implant me with one of those suckers.
    • nhprm, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Sounds like you're just begging for anal probing.
    • jedikv, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1You would like to have the chip up your ass?
    • cfuse, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1You don't seriously think the aliens are in there for the fun of it, do you? ET is ass chipping you in your sleep!
  • offthewagon, on 10/10/2007, -5/+24Paranoia abounds. Believe it or not, you're all already being tracked well beyond what these chips are capable of. Every time you flash a credit card, a supermarket savings card; every time you enter your information on Amazon, on Jinx, they are filing it away, cross-referencing, finding out where you go, how often you go there. They know what you like to buy, what shampoo is your favorite. Big brother doesn't need microchips. He just needs to tweak the laws that protect this data, which the latest terrorism acts already do.
    • rhabd0mancer, on 10/10/2007, -3/+15I use cash for small purchases. So no, they don't know what shampoo I use. I guess they can't sell my data to Suave.
      • offthewagon, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2Say you bought it at CVS. They would ask you "Do you have a CVS card?" and You would say, "most assuredly," and slip them the card, reveling in the 10 cents you'd save for being so industrious. Of course, the savings are just a ruse. Everyone gets the savings. The card is so they know how often certain items are sold and who buys them. Since you would have filled out your information before getting the card, they'll know the name behind the Suave, even if you pay in cash.
        • rhabd0mancer, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Excuse me, but I don't have a CVS card or any other store card.

          Get your facts straight!
        • FactaNonVerba7, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3The interesting thing is that with these cards, they tell you to fill in your information and send it in, but most people don't question whether or not you can use the card without giving them your information. I have many Kroger cards that I use, but I've never sent in one of those forms. Of course, there is probably someone out there who might be tracking which card is used with which debit or credit transaction. That's why it's better to use cash whenever you can, until they start sticking RFID chips on each bill... or physical cash goes extinct and everything is done with cards and/or implanted chips.
        • offthewagon, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1No need to yell. Honestly, it wasn't a reckless supposition. I'd say the majority of Americans have them--at least those with jobs and bills.
    • Devrdander, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8Thank you, the credit companies watch where you go... And if you break out of habit they will freeze your card for your protection. The first time I traveled for work with my Corp Amex i had to call in and prove my identity, why? because my card was swiped 2000 miles away from home. You also use discount cards and so much more. Honestly how many people even use cash these days? Of course you dont know if this is shared with anyone else? These systems will be sold for convenience, the new speed pay of the future... It'll start as a way of protecting your children..
    • knobtwiddler, on 10/10/2007, -3/+9thats nonsense. you can still survive just fine without a credit card.
    • eyefork, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I use cash for all purchases when possible. Although I got strange looks when I bought my ps3 lol, not to mention holding up my monies to make sure it wasnt counterfeit
  • Sornos, on 10/10/2007, -22/+10You can see a pattern in what is being dugg down and what is being dugg up. All those who say "Big Brother! The goverment is evil/corrupt/trying to control us" are being dugg up. All those who say "This technology can help people!" are dugg down. Personally, I agree with the latter, but you can clearly see where digg stands. Digg doesn't want to have a government that is trying to help them, they won't some big baddy they can scowl at and pretend to be rebels. Look at the political stories on the front page. They're all those of Bush erasing freedoms, and other "evil" deeds. Never anything like "Government Funding Helps X".
    *prepares to be dugg down*
    • pkonink, on 10/10/2007, -3/+11You're way off the mark on this one.
      • offthewagon, on 10/10/2007, -4/+7Not really. Digg is very Libertarian. The users are mostly young, jaded, and dislike expressions of control and authority.

        They're like angry, tech-savvy hippies
        • chaddles, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Saying "Digg is very Libertarian" is quite different from saying "Digg doesn't want to have a government that is trying to help them, they won't some big baddy they can scowl at and pretend to be rebels." What us libertarian diggers *don't* want is a(nother) database full of personal information owned by the government. We don't want to be tracked, we don't want our ID spoofed, we don't want a system that ignores privacy and security concerns. Personally, I'm happy for the government to help me, but I don't want a government who thinks that an RFID tag is the best way to help me.
    • crazymonkey1, on 10/10/2007, -6/+4I think this argument is pretty sound. I've seen this trend in Digg for a long time.
      • Travelsonic, on 10/10/2007, -2/+4generalizations are never sound.
        • Travelsonic, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1I meant this response to offthewagon's post, nevermind.
    • Wartyboskfapped, on 10/10/2007, -6/+6I think the problem might be that people have this thing called intelligence which allows them to analyse the past behaviour of their governments or authority organisations and project possible future outcomes based upon that evidence. What it boils down to is that many people tend to see the government as having a long history of corruption, stupidity, graft & incompetence, so they don't want them ***** around in their lives. People like you, on the other hand, who apparently are ok with whatever new suggestion comes down the pipe, will meekly go along with anything the government wants. That's OK by me, because AFAIC someone has to be a sheep.
      • crazymonkey1, on 10/10/2007, -3/+5Intelligence doesn't make conspiracies, paranoia and bs like this does. Just because someone agrees to an idea that relates to the government or control, doesn't mean that someone will agree to EVERY idea that comes his/her way. You see there's this thing called logic that allows people to be rational and open minded about ideas.
    • HillerMylife, on 07/24/2008, -2/+6You're right -- I don't want a government always trying new ways to help me live my life. I want a small government that guarantees every person's rights, so long as no one is infringing on another person's rights.
    • chaddles, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1@Sornos, if you want front-page stories about "Govt funding helps X" why not try www.happyfluffnews.com? Seriously, if you saw that kind of headline in a newspaper, you would know it was a no-news day.
  • Jakesterama, on 10/10/2007, -14/+1ya'll are a bunch of fruit cakes if they wanted to track you they could already put something in your drivers license, money, or anything else you have with you every day. I like this idea, no more keys, just have everything programed to your chip, walk up to your car, hop in, push a button, drive away, come home, door opens automatically, it would be cool
    • jjesusfreak01, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6Unfortunately, the idea of an implantable chip is highly flawed. Currently, I use a credit card to authorize purchases, and a pin code to get in my garage door. Neither can be used without me taking any action, though my credit card information could theoretically be copied by anyone who I transacted with. This problem is worse with an RFID chip, because unless it has an insane encryption and access system, it will be cracked, and people will be able to copy the chips. It is worse for two reasons. 1, you dont have to do anything for them to have access to the chip. 2, once your chip is compromised, you have to get a chip transplant, rather than a new credit card. Current RFID chips used for this purpose are nonprogrammable. They just have an id number that is transmitted, not much else...so you wouldnt just be able to go to the government and get reprogrammed. Im not for any device that is difficult or impossible to upgrade.

      Why not just go for iris scanners like in iRobot
  • Murdats, on 10/10/2007, -4/+5some sort of government ID is not a bad idea, my problem is mandatory government ID. to me that sort of signifies that the government has something to gain, and dont believe that the people will have enough to gain or enough incentive to opt in willingly.

    its like drivers licences or credit cards, those things are optional, if you have some objection to them fine, and you have as much to gain from possessing them as any other entity, so why do they feel the need to force this?
    • auzer, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6Not entirely "optional". Like the article says, peoples' fears are that eventually it will be, "Get a chip or starve". It's already that way with either Drivers License OR State ID: You can't get a legal job without one. (The difference being that you aren't legally obligated to carry the ID card, and people can't "peek" into your pocket to see it.
      It's just a matter of time on the chips, (not that I'm in support of them). I would imagine that you could buy something to wrap over the implanted chip that nullifies its signal though...until that's illegal.
  • Babykitkat, on 10/10/2007, -7/+11This has been planned for years
    http://www.vaticanassassins.org/

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4315834925200441495&hl=en
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4032076800390535825
  • nicepants, on 10/10/2007, -13/+6Everyone who doesn't know any better seems to think these chips can be used for "tracking" someone. This is just not true. Most RFID tags can only be read from a distance of less than 1 foot.....hardly useful for tracking anyone.
    • NSResponder, on 10/10/2007, -4/+16Unless you have readers all over the place, like in every ATM, doorways to public transportation vehicles, etc, etc.

      -jcr

      • noahhoward, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2Sure because I pass within 6 inches of an ATM every five minutes... do you hear yourself?
    • rhabd0mancer, on 10/10/2007, -1/+10Some tags can be read several meters away.
    • Wartyboskfapped, on 10/10/2007, -1/+13How the ***** do you know what they are gonna develop in the next few years? Are you OK with your government doing this? Do you trust them, given their record? I don't. They can go to hell.
    • Xuvious, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7Maybe in today's technology. But tomorrows tech will be a whole new game.
      • noahhoward, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1You assume that they won't be keeping the short range ones for this purpose. They are not going to use a 10 foot chip for personal id use just because they can.
    • knobtwiddler, on 10/10/2007, -6/+2they can be read from satellite using radio telescopes.
    • jaredforshey, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5It's been shown that RFID data can be intercepted by a third party from some distance away; the trick is to pick up the broadcast from the chip after it's excited by a nearby reader. For example, someone in a building could point a highly directional antenna out the window at an ATM across the street that they know has a built-in RFID reader. The ATM triggers any RFID chips that happen to pass close enough, and the guy across the road intercepts the response. I've been googling for the article but can't find it anymore; it was recently enough that I'm sure someone else remembers.
    • eyefork, on 10/10/2007, -1/+21 foot away, whats to say they wouldnt have chips in all doorknobs/door handles? Also, as said before, radio telescopes and antennas can be used to read them. This is probably just me but everytime I buy something I rip up the RFID tag inside and toss it, but Im just a really paranoid guy, or so I hope.
  • larsholm, on 10/10/2007, -10/+1I wouldn't mind being tagged. But I might had if I was living in the US.
  • archer75, on 10/10/2007, -10/+1I think it's a good idea. If it helps them track down criminals easier or aid kidnapped victimes i'm all for it.
    • Wartyboskfapped, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7It won't do either of those things. Criminal will cut out/burn out or nuke his chip with a gauss gun. A kidnap victim will be mutilated by captors to get out the chip. It's a bad idea.
    • knobtwiddler, on 10/10/2007, -4/+7FOOL!!!!!
      have you noticed what type of new "crimes" they're coming up with these days? didn't you read 1984?
      its not for the criminals. its not for protecting children. its for controlling YOU, THE CATTLE.
    • BrapAllgood, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Of course, our government ALWAYS treats the criminals like criminals and the others like others. Just ask Scooter.

      How naive.
  • m2paper, on 10/10/2007, -16/+10i can haz mark of the beast?
    • coffeebot, on 10/10/2007, -3/+11i dugg you up bc it sounds flatteringly a lot like my comment
    • Goombellaofgoom, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5mark of beast? do not want!
  • Masefield, on 10/10/2007, -9/+12Freedom is irrelevant. Individuality is irrelevant. Resistance is futile.
  • ThePerkins, on 10/10/2007, -2/+32Who has been the standard recipient of embedded microchips? Livestock. Why? Because owners would like to keep track of their subserviant beasts. Put two and two together, and you should really see why so many people, from fundamentalists to libertarians, are opposed to being dehumanized with tracking implants. I'm not a paranoid perpetual victim by any means, but I know how precious my freedom is.
  • Xuvious, on 10/23/2007, -2/+46Screw the Government.

    In a free society it's the People that track and follow the Government.

    In a society based on slavery, it's the Government that keeps track of the citizens.
  • Racoons, on 10/10/2007, -1/+23So, now if someone wants to steal your identity they must also obtain your arm?
    • OBKenobi, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Wouldn't cloning one of these chips be as easy as cloning, say, a Cable Card?
  • ldude69, on 10/10/2007, -10/+6trent reznor FTW!
  • wooptoo, on 10/10/2007, -7/+19Machines can't replace everything humans do.
    "If it helps them track down criminals easier or aid kidnapped victimes i'm all for it." -- this is the police's duty.

    Obedience to the law and a "clean" society can exist without these chips. Northern european contries are more civilized/wealthy/etc than USA will ever be, and they don't have RFIDs in their forearms and crap like that.
    • Wartyboskfapped, on 10/10/2007, -7/+5Watch your comment be dugg down by Americans from both religious, Right wing & Left wing as their egos are hurt by your suggestion that their country isn't the greatest in the world. It's the only thing that unites them. ;)
    • j3utton, on 10/10/2007, -8/+5Im american... and I agree. The US is easily NOT the most civilized/wealthy country in the world... Quite simply because theres too many ***** here. Chris Rocks deffinition of *****... not the KKK's. I'm serious, 'Gangster Life' is the downfall of america... its destroys the american dream and the american lifestyle, yet its celebrated and endeared. Fueled by media outlets like MTV, VH1 and everything else out there... kids grow up thinking its ok to act like lindsey lohan or paris hilton, they idolize people like 50 cent. Its absolute *****, and its the reason why the rest of the world hates us.
      • b1gm1ke, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Ok Mr. Hypocrite, you forgot one thing. That "gangsta" culture is fueled by "media outlets".....who owns those media outlets? Poor people of any color are going to naturally have a higher rate of criminality and if the greedy corporations had any conscience they wouldn't encourage and foment what is in effect class warfare.
      • soumynona, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2WTF ever! If anything it's old corrupt rich ass white men that are doing more damage to America than any other group. From Enron to Bush& Co.
    • tehxen3, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1So freedom and pursuit of happiness is the downfall of america? ok...
    • macguy815, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Americans don't have RFIDs in their arms either (yet). At least we don't have a government network of CCTV cameras that shout at you when you don't recycle (yet).
  • misconfig, on 10/10/2007, -5/+7OH NOES teh Antichrist is on his way!
  • Maku, on 10/10/2007, -12/+3...way to go atheists and for the record, Anna Nicole married for love too right?
  • perogi21, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1Too late :-(
  • pilotss, on 10/10/2007, -2/+9This is the inevitable future.

    In the past you could move to the next village and start fresh with no scars. Then you had to move to the next state, then country, then continent. Where doesn't your history follow these days. Everything you do will be tracked and logged.

    I believe the US government already has a chip in your passport. Tracked and logged. Just your credit card alone is a great tracker.

    Leaving the criminals and the underworld to hack the system. The only ones with guns are the criminals right?
    Corps and governments will abuse the hell out of this.

    Sounds like a sci fi book but very real.
    • eyebits, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3>you could move to the next village and start fresh with no scars

      So true. There is (almost) no place to move anymore where one could get a fresh start. Your history follows you worldwide now. I think it sucks. I agree that is really does sound like a sci fi book.
    • clearzen, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5The difference is that I can take my passport and throw it in a microwave if I don't want the government watching me
    • trevorml0878, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1This is not the inevitable future. Don't try that "suggestion" ***** in here.
      • zybch, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Thats right! It is the PRESENT!
        We're already being tracked via numerous 'tokens' we all carry like drivers licenses, RFID passports, credit cards etc.
        Implants will eventually be come mandatory, and its not going to be too far away.
  • KevenM, on 10/10/2007, -11/+5Can we PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE amend Godwin's law to include Big Brother, 1984 and George Orwell?

    buried for duplicate. This whole crap was already up a couple weeks ago
    • eyebits, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3WTF is your problem? If you don't like a story, skip it.
    • crushfan, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1BOOOOOOOOOOOORIIING.
  • forgottenhope, on 10/10/2007, -6/+8This is a good idea. If you dont support tagging yourself with a microchip you support terrorist. It is in national security interest that all of us get tagged. Even the illegals. Then we dont need Real ID cards. We have them implanted. http://www.digitalangelcorp.com/ Digital Angel has been at this technology for sometime now. It is only a matter of time. All of your base belongs to us, us meaning the United States. Or could i get away with saying the United State of The north American Union.
    • planofd2149, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3So to stand against tracking of personal information is to support terrorism and be an anti-patriot? Can you say FACISM?
      • smackywentz, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Sarcasm. Sweet Horus it's sarcasm! Dammit SARCASM!
  • IsmailOo, on 10/10/2007, -3/+20RFID chips are crazy, no way in hell they will put one in me... ***** the New World Order... Assholes.
  • Babykitkat, on 10/10/2007, -4/+4http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/newworldindex.htm

    New World Order
  • charlieyocum, on 10/10/2007, -3/+11I'd be worried about Big Brother watching me too if these RFID chips could be used to track your location globally without millions of scanners across the globe and computer systems powerful enough to process the location of millions of people at once. I'd also be worried if the chips weren't so immature that they didn't have blatant security risks like simple spoofing that could be used to steal the identities of users and compromise entire systems. But why would I read the article and try to understand it and its implications when I could just get caught up in the hype and become enraged about what the telescreen tells me? After all, Ignorance is Strength, right?

    How many of you calling Big Brother have even read 1984? The book was not a cry against technology, but a cry against people losing the ability to think for themselves and believing whatever they read or saw. A technological concept that, once matured and properly developed, could improve security and maintain convenience in our day to day lives is much less '1984' than the fact that comments agreeing with this article's title are being dugg much more than those expressing reactions to the article itself.
    • smackywentz, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2What you say is true, but if this technology becomes mainstream, which it seems to be already in various forms, it will be abused.
  • IanPatterson, on 10/10/2007, -1/+12http://www.zeitgeistthemovie.com
  • 0260, on 10/10/2007, -10/+4i dont see a big problem with this. i think it will make some tasks easier and safer. i want one in me and im serious
    • drakethegreat, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Then can you please for the love of god move to China where they want this stuff...
    • yawnstretch, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1You're a f##king idiot
  • duke3k, on 10/10/2007, -12/+4I would volunteer to help this research. Go and look up luddite, you paranoid morons.
    • Xuvious, on 10/10/2007, -4/+4Go lick your slavemasters boots.
    • eyebits, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Not all applications of technology are good. It isn't about being for or against technology. It is about responsible use of technology. How about volunteering as a nuclear blast test subject or a frontal lobotomy test subject?
      • nhprm, on 10/10/2007, -6/+3How about those are in a totally different league. How about thats a terrible comparison that hardly holds any water. How about you are a retard eyebits
        • chaddles, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1@nhprm: I think that eyebits was pointing out that the people on this thread who oppose RFID implants are largely objecting to security and privacy concerns, not the actual use of technology, whereas Luddite refers to someone who is generally anti-technology (ie someone who would not be on this thread, nor using the internet, nor a PC). In which case, duke3k should probably be the one looking up "Luddite", and you should probably apologise for name-calling.
  • ChayD, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2I'd happily have a tag embedded in my arm if it meant not having to wear those bloody company RFID cards round my neck all the time (plus the hassle of getting into the office if I accidentally leave it at home). Although the tags would have to have some sort of challenge/response and encryption built in so prevent the wrong people getting hold of my ID before I'd agree to implantation.
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