The Fear Factor
Implanting RFID tags in people is just a bad idea.
By Kevin Ashton
Oct. 1, 2006—I do not believe RFID is the Mark of the Beast foretold by The Book of Revelations, but I have been accosted by more than a few people who do. They are always polite and intelligent. We've had some interesting discussions. And there is usually one subject where we find passionate agreement: RFID tags should not be implanted in people.
This odd application is real—although, so far, quite experimental. VeriChip markets an RFID tag for embedding in human beings. The company claims it's for applications such as access control and patient monitoring.
Occasional press releases tout that various minor celebrities have had VeriChip tags implanted. An academic from Bristol, England, made the cover of Wired magazine for declaring himself a "cyborg" after he stuck an RFID chip in his arm so the lights would come on when he entered his office. And Sun Microsystems' former CEO, Scott McNealy, once advocated implanting RFID chips in babies. "Slap that baby's bottom," he said, "then slip an ID chip in their neck or between their shoulders so you can keep track of your kid. That's not Big Brother; that's Dad."
Oct. 1, 2006—I do not believe RFID is the Mark of the Beast foretold by The Book of Revelations, but I have been accosted by more than a few people who do. They are always polite and intelligent. We've had some interesting discussions. And there is usually one subject where we find passionate agreement: RFID tags should not be implanted in people.
This odd application is real—although, so far, quite experimental. VeriChip markets an RFID tag for embedding in human beings. The company claims it's for applications such as access control and patient monitoring.
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