RFID Journal Staff asked 10 years ago I have been implanted with a radio frequency identification chip. How can I find out which frequency is being used? How can I nullify the chip or block the signal? And can I turn the chip off?
—Name withheld
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I seriously doubt you have been implanted with an RFID transponder. First, you would see a noticeable mark on your body from the implantation needle. Second, there would be no value to anyone in implanting someone with a chip, since it could only be read from about 8 inches away. RFID is useless for tracking someone in this manner.
The frequency of such a chip (assuming one were implanted, which is unlikely) would most likely be 134 KHz, though it could also be 125 KHz. These would be low-frequency (LF) devices. You could buy an RFID reader, but all you would be able to do is interrogate the 16-digit serial number stored in the transponder. These devices do not have a kill command, like passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID transponders based on the Electronic Product Code (EPC) standard. The chip would be placed just under the skin, and could easily be removed by a doctor in an office setting (if there were a chip—which, as I said, I doubt is the case). Or you could wrap common kitchen aluminum foil around the area where the chip was located (if there was, indeed, a chip... which, again... oh, you know).
—Mark Roberti, Founder and Editor, RFID Journal
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