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FDA Approves Implantable RFID for Patients
anzha writes "It seems that the FDA has approved an RFID tag for use in patients. The idea being that the rice grain sized chip would be implanted and scanned for patient history and updates. It seems that a similar chip was used by the Mexican government for employees that work with sensitive documents. IDK about you, but this seems a to me little...creepy."
Yes, because if there is one thing the government is good at, it would be respecting peoples privacy and safeguarding personal information.
The fundamental potential for abuse is that since some institution now has a unique ID linked to you, somebody with access to the back-end databases will be able to know as much as the databases recorded.
Since the article doesn't say anything about expiry of said RFID tag, all hospitals and other institutions that want to use this technology will need to share your unique ID number amongst everybody, creating a meta-network of information all tracable to YOU.
For those that think this is a bad thing, don't blame the FDA. The FDA's only job should be to ensure medical safety, that unsafe products don't harm people, not to prevent the abusive use of a product which is not intriniscally bad. It is the use of the product which can be bad. Isn't that the argument you use in stating P2P software should stay legal?
Saying the FDA should ban this technology because it can be abused is like saying they should ban cough syrup because of DXM abuse or that the MPAA should ban Linux DVD software because it can be used by movie pirates, or that the RIAA should be able to ban P2P software because someone could use it to distribute a billion copies of the latest Britney Spears album.
Just because it CAN be done, doesn't mean it should!
Oh, you don't want me to lose my tag when I leave hospital? Why not?
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.
What's wrong with one of those temporary tattoos? We've got some fabulous technology with those (take a look at the female olympic vollyball teams...two or three, if you need them), what's keeping us from printing a 1-week barcode on your shoulder, or other good location (ankle, etc).
Would seem to be a better idea than an implant.
When SSNs first came out, everybody warned about the possibility of abuse for its use as a national number similar to how the nazi's and USSR did
About 20 years ago, it was a huge no-no to use SSNs for doing software, but we did it anyways (actually, I was allowed as I was doing Medical Software in 1985). Then the justice dept cracked down on its use. So everybody switched to Drivers License, but that was considered too much of a national ID.
Now, in the last 3 years, we are required to give SSN's and Drivers Licenses everywhere (bank, jobs, etc). CC companies are now required to give instance access to DOJ whenever they want it. The DOJ has instance access to all tollroads DBs of which cars with tollpass RFIDs are tracking.
The patriot act II (basically passed by both houses and the admin on the day that Sadaam's capture was announced) assures the above and more. (interesting that is was more to DOJ rather than NSA/CIA/NGSA).
And now, the feds want to implant chips in us the same way that I do for my dogs????? Hummmm, Yeah, right.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
No, of course it won't. If I were an evil overlord, here's how I would introduce it...
1) Offer it voluntarily for those that believe it will improve one service or another.
2) Only prisoners convicted of felonies.
3) Drunken drivers who have restricted driving privileges.
4) Schoolchildren, after some kidnapping scare.
5) Babies, after a hospital nursery mixup.
6) Ex-cons on parole, people on probation.
7) Military personel (Will help if your body is burned beyond recognition).
8) People who need to enter restricted buildings. (FBI, CIA agents, congressional staffers, whitehouse personel)
At about this point, I'd start offering expedited rows at the checkout counter, bus terminals, airports, etc. Treat those without the chips as "well, you're completely free to choose, after all it's a free country" and the same way you do people who guard their SSN. Make *them* feel like they're crazy, instead of the system being so.
9) State government personel. State vehicle's ignitions will no longer work without them...
Of course, I may not have the order perfect here, and certainly big business will do its part to help. "I'm sorry sir, but this ATM only works if you have a chipID, so that we can be sure your card wasn't stolen!".
There are some things that are practically inevitable should the become possible. It is now possible, and past one of the few regulatory hurdles that might have obstructed it. Have fun being tagged like livestock, all you sheeple.