Slashdot Mirror
Senator Leahy Calls for RFID Technology Hearings
securitas writes "Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy has called for congressional hearings into radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The comments were made Mar. 23 to the Georgetown University Law Center's conference on video surveillance technology during a speech titled 'The Dawn of Micro Monitoring: Its Promise, And Its Challenges To Privacy And Security'. Leahy suggested that RFIDs may require federal regulation to ensure the public's privacy rights. Leahy is quoted as saying that the combination of RFIDs, sophisticated databases, networks and the Internet means that, 'We are on the verge of a revolution in micro-monitoring - the capability for the highly detailed, largely automatic, widespread surveillance of our daily lives.' He goes on to say that, 'We need clear communication about the goals, plans, and uses of the technology, so that we can think in advance about the best ways to encourage innovation, while conserving the public's right to privacy.' (Leahy's RFID speech transcript)"
RFIDs are a wonderful antiterrorist tool. They allow tracking of any individual, any currency bill he owns, any means of transport he uses. How can anyone oppose the use of such technology ? A day will come when every child will be implanted with an RFID chip, and a remote-disable spinal tap at birth, and all law and order problems will be moot. I just hope America has the wisdom to use this technology first: I don't live there.
This is not a signature.
Sen. Leahy thinks that using Windows Explorer to browse around a shared Windows file server and read publically shared documents is hacking. At least, it is when those documents are highly embarrassing to the Democratic Party. In all fairness, his Republican counterpart (Sen. Hatch) is just as clueless, though at least Hatch means well. Leahy's vicious.
I really don't think the politicians are going to be of much help here. Keep them out of the loop and keep them from making RFID countermeasures illegal.