Rfid

[idontfighttheworld]

I was curious as to whether any of you had heard of this, and what everyones thoughts were.

RFID is a technology in which small microchips with transmitters are placed on just about any object not containing a large amount of liquid. The chips contain a completely unique tracking number, which are tracked when detected by an RFID network. As a former wal-mart wage slave, I was pretty freaked out when they rolled out their RFID system. Basically every single item that comes into the store is kept in a database and can be tracked. Including some shoes and clothes. Recently I've heard that these chips are being put into passports, and if the feds get their way into every i.d. Basically the only thing preventing this is a few states suing.

I've always read books about the future where neighborhoods and cities are divided from others by gates that won't open without the proper i.d. and laughed. But, it seems like it's starting to become a pretty serious possibility. The idea that people are even selling clothes that can be tracked is goddamn scary.

It's hard enough live off the grid today, even if you don't carry an i.d. you're still fucked with by cops, and who's to say that if you refuse to carry those bugged i.d.s or wear the clothes and get picked up that they won't eventually start bugging our fucking bodies?

Anyways, I'm curious about what you guys think.

 

[IBRRHOBO]

one word ... nanotechnology. good reading. it's passive transmission meaning that it has to be scanned to be of any value; however, in theory, the gov't could keep track of how much person 'a' has of product 'b'.

 

[idontfighttheworld]

I may be mistaken, but I don't think it's necessarily passive. I used to work at an auto plant and all the parts were tagged. They'd broadcast themselves every six minutes or so, so that the bosses could see where they were on the line and figure out if we were making enough or not. Cause building up six transmissions in 15 minutes just isn't enough.

Also, what's preventing freight companies from putting scanners at stations along the line? Or from grocery stores putting them up and tracking your shoes to get you busted for trespassing if you go near a dumpster?

 

[dirtyfacedan]

Most railcars have it, Our BC drivers licenses are about to have it, as well as our passports. You can get them for your pets, and the whole family now. Big brother IS watching more and more every day. Jamming devices are simple, and easy to build. shielding gear to block the radio wave is even easier. A big problem is not knowing when you are carrying such a device.

 

[IBRRHOBO]

I mean passive in the sense that it's not like it has amplification as there's no power source so it's limited in transmission per se. now, when u couple rfid w/nanotech u get a scary thing.

ultimately, i would believe that the rationale is to say that it's useful for inventory control whilst being able to locate say a stockpile of medical shit (iv, sterile gause, etc.). From a military point-of-view, stockpiling items like that and ammo and freeze dried food would be an indicator of insurection afoot. Half dozen things I oculd dream up as I wouked Intelligence when I was @ ONI.

It is, though, worthy of discussion. And, freight companies HAVE put them along the tracks for the cars themselves (see Widerstand's posts here and there as he TRUELY is the authority on the all-around aspects of train equipment and really all things train).

 

[compass]

They've been working on RFID for along time. Like IBRRHOBO said, the problem is in the strength of transmission. I've know a guy that is part of a highly funded RFID research program at the local university, and he says they're still a good ways off from having the technology at the level of full on big brother tracking. They still have problems with the in store systems. But all the pieces exist, and we're headed in that direction. GPS capability is the ultimate goal.

BTW, they've been putting chips beneath the skin on the back of the neck of cats and dogs from the pound for well over a decade now. There are already people who have volunteered to have chips implanted under the skin of their forearm. Several years ago, a whole family did it, and several months ago I read an article about employess of a very high security company getting chipped and all their movements around the building being constantly tracked.

 

[finn]

RFID tags can be fried with an ordinary microwave oven, so that's a solution for the tags in things that don't have any other metal in them.

 

[idontfighttheworld]

Microwaves are a bad idea. If they're strong enough to hurt it, they're strong enough to make it catch on fire. (notice I said 'former' wal-mart employee.)

 

[Dmac]

this is the same technology used to place microchip id tags in your dog or cat. really amazing what can be done, till you end up on the wrong side of it.