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Microchips For Human Implantation As ID

securitas writes: "Reuters is carrying this story about Applied Digital's VeriChip -- a subcutaneous microchip (like the ones they use to tag pets, livestock and wildlife) used as ID for humans. They are radio-activated and would initially be used to store and transmit medical data via the Internet. They will be also used as tracking beacons and personal ID according to a company exec. The launch will be in Europe and South America. The company has made an FDA application and the FCC has already licensed airwaves for a similar device." We've mentioned this company's "Digital Angel" before, but there's an understandable sudden interest in such tracking technologies.

10 of 450 comments (clear)

  1. Why by adamy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What would be the benefit?

    A central database of Retinal/Thumbprint scans can ID you just as easily. All the Info on your medical records could be stored in the central DB as opposed to in your microschips.

    Unless...you could somehow control access to your own Microchips. I could see several levels of permissions:

    Global: Person scans, and now knows that you are a citizen of the USA, EU, PRC ... nothing more.

    Business: Person Scans, and now can get your shipping and billing info.

    Medical: Person scans, and now can get you vital medical history ALA 1st Alert.

    All this we be predicated on you having a public/private key hand shake, similar to the SSL setup.
    1) Remote machine requests permission
    2) Microchip tells chip to grant permission (I have no idea how, I am just dreaming at this point)
    3) Chip grants short-lived one time key for accessing info.

    If someone tried to tag you with one of these against your will, I am sure there would be many ways to distrupt it: Wear a "Diskman" that actually produces white-noise frequencies to cover the radio from the chip...replace the implanted chip with a home made one that proves that you are someone else...implant a chip that compromises a buffer override in the scanning software so that if anyone tries to ID you their machine crashes.

    In other words, business as usuall

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    Open Source Identity Management: FreeIPA.org
  2. A Modest Proposal for making ID Chips palatable by Tsar · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The problem I see with this is that all your information can be retrieved by a variety of unauthorized (or undesired) folk without your knowledge.

    How about adding a couple of things to the human version of this technology:

    • Notification. include an external circuit—perhaps electrodes at each end of the chip capsule—which would emit a mild electric shock to the wearer whenever the chip was 'read.'
    • Controllability. Provide a handheld device with each ID chip which would transmit a locking/unlocking signal to the chip. When locked, the chip would be rendered incapable of transmitting identifying information (similar to the Pentium III CPUID switch).
    • Information Scaling. Let the wearer use the same handheld device to control the type and amount of information retrievable from the chip. For example, on a shopping trip, the user may allow only demographic information to be read, on the condition that stores and malls which read the info will give some small discount on purchases in return for the information.
    If I were guaranteed this level of control, and the control was personally verifiable, I'd have no problem having such a device implanted.
    1. Re:A Modest Proposal for making ID Chips palatable by SloWave · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Or Disable the thing...

      1. Disable the interlock on a microwave oven.

      2. Stick your arm with the chip inplanted in the microwave and fry the bugger.

      3. Remove arm before you get cooked.

  3. Re:I want number 666! by iguy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Just because everyone says "Oh folks won't do that" has absolutely no relavence when you talk about these same folks that willingly vote 66% saying Yes to reducing liberties for more theoretical security. People are sheep. Individuals are smart. When you bring lots of people together they tend to go the way the crowd goes. Like the majority of these other "security" approaches taken recently this won't actually help security but it will give you a false sense of safety.

    Its a way for power hungry people to control what you do day in and day out. If they can take control of you one way or another they will and will use any event to encourage you to do what they want. Always be on your guard. When you get that mark on your right hand and they decide that everyone who reads slashdot is evil, subversive or part of the great threat, you will suddenly be unable to buy groceries, drive through the toll booth or even have power to your house anymore. Just like that.

    Be aware of the powers coming.

    --

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    Just remove the spaces and do the intelligent thing to email me.
  4. Probably Redundant, but I have to mention it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I'm sure you all are familiar with the Biblical reference of a mark on the right hand or forehead, but in case you missed it, click here to see the most pertainent section.

    The location is Revelations 13:16-17.

    I don't consider myself a real right-winger. However, if this kind of thing comes down, I, too, will be waiting with rifle in hand for Ministry of Truth^H^H^H^H^H Homeland Security to knock down^H^H^H^Hon my door.

    (Is there a possibility that the gov't trolls places like /. for a list of "non-compliants"? Sure. That's why I posted as AC.)

  5. The launch will be in Europe and South America by ZaneMcAuley · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why is that? Are these nations more acceptable to control devices?

    Example, the UK already has the worlds highest CCTV count and Europe's culture very orderely and controled.

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    ----- Whats wrong with this picture? http://www.revoh.org:1234/whatswrong
  6. Re:Its not going to work by cxvx · · Score: 2, Interesting

    That's so stupid, it's not even funny anymore.

    During the 70's Europe suffered from many terrorist attacks from diverse groups such as the German RAF (Rote Armee Fraction), Carlos the Jackal and his group, right-wing extremists in Italy,... .

    Now in almost every country in Europe, there already was a national id-card.

    So according to your logic, this never could have happened.

    But you should consider that these people had no problems travelling trough Europe because they had *grasp* false id-cards. On many occasions where one could apprehend these terrorists, they often found different fake ID-cards from different countries on them.

    Nowadays you could say, we put them all in a large database and check that database everytime someone eg. checks in a plane, but how do you handle foreign ID-cards? I don't think that an international ID-card database will happen the first century.

    --
    If only I could come up with a good sig ...
  7. You're absolutely right! by Micah · · Score: 5, Interesting

    He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,
    so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
    -- Revelation 13:16-17

    We now have technology to make that happen!

  8. Migrating chips by agentZ · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There's one completely practical aspect of all of this which hasn't been mentioned yet. I volunteer with a dog rescue organization which tries to use the chipping technology to match lost pets with their owners. When it works, it's great.

    But the chips, which are usually implanted in the back of the animals neck, can occasionally migrate inside the animal's body. Mostly they just slide down the back, but there have been cases where they just disappear. (I'm sure the chip is in there somewhere, I just don't want to find out...)

    Either way though, if it's possible for the chips to move after implantation, I think the technology needs more work before we start putting them in people.

  9. Of course the sheeple will accept this by jhylkema · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Let's see here, we've already accepted:

    -- Our private medical information being entered into databases and sold to marketing companies.

    -- Our credit records, containing all sorts of personal and private data, being sold to marketing companies and being used to barrage us with all manner of advertisements for crap we don't need or want.

    -- The Brits have accepted their every movement being monitored by closed-circuit telescreens, er, cameras, in the name of "crime prevention."

    -- A de facto National ID number (the Social Insecurity number).

    -- DoubleClick teaming up with Polk to personally identify and track web usage of individuals.

    -- The Clipper chip. Key escrow. Carnivore. Nuff said.

    What's to stop us from accepting a microship implant? "Oh, you don't want this? What are you a terrorist? A pedophile? A criminal?" is the most common refrain. Or, "If you're an honest guy, you've got nothing to worry about." And you know what? It works every time, it'll work this time too. Face it, folks, it's coming and we've done it to ourselves. We have finally gotten the government we deserve.

    Oh well, call me a cynic, but I'm only surprised that it has taken this long.