Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Richard Stallman Accosted For Tinfoil Hat

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the of-all-the-reasons dept.

ndansmith writes "Bruce Perens posts in his blog about an amusing encounter between Richard Stallman and United Nations security at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. It seems that RFID technology, which Stallman opposes for privacy reasons, was used in the identification badges for the conference. From the blog: 'You can't give Richard a visible RF ID strip without expecting him to protest. Richard acquired an entire roll of aluminum foil and wore his foil-shielded pass prominently.' During a keynote speech, Stallman also passed around the tinfoil for other to use as well. It seems that UN security was not amused, however, as they would not let him leave the room for some time." What makes this even funnier, of course, is that tin foil hats won't stop them.

12 of 549 comments (clear)

  1. Credit where Credit is due. by jcr · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I take exception to many things that RMS says and does, but I'm with him 100% on this one. Way to go, Richard!

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  2. For all the "what does it matter" folks by Catbeller · · Score: 5, Interesting

    For months as this RFID contraversy has progressed, people on the 'dot have said, "well, you can always block it with a piece of foil if you don't want to be tracked".

    Well, guess what? As predicted by a quick examination of human nature, they WON'T let you block your tracking devices. You will not have a choice as to when and where you will be tracked. This is just the very beginning, the closing of the gate, of our World Prison.

    Tell me why again we have to have tracking devices embedded on our persons? I seem to have missed the reasoning. Terrorism?

    1. Re:For all the "what does it matter" folks by Catbeller · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Exactly. It was just an identity badge. And they went bonkers. Totally disproportionate response.

      Yell at the authority-maddened idiots who thought they could harrass Stallman, not Stallman. He made the point beautifully. It's about the POWER, not about security.

      What do you think the guvmint or the cops will do when you block THEIR tracking, even symbolically? Arrest, jail, prison, inevitably.

    2. Re:For all the "what does it matter" folks by roman_mir · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Tell me why again we have to have tracking devices embedded on our persons? - because you are a slave. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, born inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind.

      Ok, now that I did the obligatory Matrix quote, here is why I think tracking every single individual's movements, purchases, and even thoughts is an inevitable future: the technological advances allow government bodies to have the most control over the population (look what is happenning in the most developped countries: UK, USA, Canada, Australia, etc.) The government has the will to control the population. Ironically it is the population that gives the government that power. Apparently the small number of people who are able to innovate and come up with technological progress are mostly the ones who understand how this new tech can be abused to give the government more power and to take away freedoms of the people. Unfortunately the majority of the people are not the ones responsible for the innovation, they are just 'consumers', they have no clue. But they are the majority and they are always ready to trade their freedoms for some illusion of security and/or convenience. The innovation suggests new technical possibilities, the government needs a stable system to make its only income: the taxes. Thus the government protects and maximizes its source of income: a stable regime with powerful system of controls that absolutely prohibit any dissident behaviour that leads to decreases in government income. The population in majority agrees to anything that creates illusion of security/safety/convenience etc., and basically gives up the idea that individuals should be responsible for their own behaviour and actions to themselves first. It looks more and more like an ant colony or a bee hive, doesn't it?

      It looks like it is the inherit property of a system - to maximize government control and power and minimize individual freedoms in order to maximize government's income. The problem is a system based on taxes.

      Thus, see my previous posts.

      --
      You can't handle the truth.
  3. Great image for the FOSS movement by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm going to be flamed for this so I'll post AC.

    I respect RMS. He's contributed a lot to the FOSS movement (but no, sorry, what I run is Linux). Several of his writings are thought-provoking. But on the other hand, we all want to see Linux become mainstream. Is this the image we want corporations to have about FOSS? One of its leaders childishly and purposefully gets in trouble with UN security for shielding his pass in aluminium foil. A movement led by immature pranksters. Is that the image we want?

  4. Re:You Westerners are funny by penguinoid · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I always wonder what youin the West would do in the face of true evil. Soil your panties and faint, I imagine.

    Perhaps you'll find that "true evil" can turn wusses into heroes. We sit on our fat asses, because we can.

    --
    Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
  5. Re:Those poor security people ... by satch89450 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If we hired smart security people, overall we'd be more secure.

    I have my Washoe County, Nevada, work card for security guard work in my wallet. When are you going to step up to the plate and be one of those smarter security guards?

    Fill the void!

  6. Hammer time? by ka9dgx · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Why not just set the thing down, and bash the RFID chip with a hammer, or crush it with your leatherman? Claim not to know why it doesn't work, and let them deal with you in the conventional manner, instead of all this big brother shit.

    --Mike--

  7. I applaud both Stallman and U.N. security by dpbsmith · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Stallman did something completely appropriate. It made a point. It made a valid point. It made the point effectively by attracting attention and publicity. It did not hurt anybody. It caused the barest minimum of disruption and inconvenience.

    It has probably brought the matter to the attention of U.N. officials who honestly didn't know or understand the problems with RFID, and regardless of their visible behavior I am sure that it educated the security people as well. I don't know whether this in itself will change policy, but I'd bet a nickel that behind the scenes there have been some discussions and briefings.

    Now, the U.N. security people did as close to the right thing as you can imagine them doing. You can't expect them to make an instant technical analysis of the situation. The facts they were presented with were: a) the badges are being used for security, to make sure that only authorized people attend; b) Stallman was conspiciously doing something or other with the badges; c) they had no way of knowing whether it was any kind of security threat, but at least the possibility existed. Screwing around with a security pass is suspicious, even if you don't know what exactly to suspect, and even if in this case it was innocent.

    They didn't arrest him. They didn't beat him up. They created the barest minimum of disruption and inconvenience to Stallman and to the meeting.

    I say Stallman was effective, on a matter that has some real society importance. And I say the security guards' response was measured and sensible.

    --

    "How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!

  8. Re:Oh Please... by Scrameustache · · Score: 4, Interesting
    they are trying to get the US to renovate the UN building in NYC and expecting to spend about a billion extra to do so (American Tax Dollars)
    For more than a decade the United States has been seriously delinquent in paying its 25 percent share of dues to the United Nations. It currently owes more than $1 billion. While most of the world body's 185 member states are current, Congress has held up U.S. dues

    That was in 1997. STFU until you pay your debts, deadbeat.

    mentioning the child rapes

    Seriously, STFU.
    Since the United States has given up official control of Okinawa, U.S. military personnel have committed 22 murders, 354 robberies and 110 rapes on the island

    Most infamous of which is the gang rape of a japanese schoolgirl in the 90's, which so outraged the population that the base is being relocated.
    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  9. Re:Oh Please... by boskone · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why exactly should we be carrying 25% of the total cost of the UN?

    I'll bet that there is no reason we should pay 25%. We are one of 185 countries. We are one of I believe 7 on the permanent security council. The US I doubt has 25% of world economic output either, so I can't determine any other reason other than "the US should pay". Nice logic.

    I don't get the sense of entitlement people have. What's your country paying?

  10. Re:Those poor security people ... by Rimbo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Asking people to call it "GNU/Linux" is not a distinction. It's marketing. He wants his organization to receive credit for the contributions they made that made Linux development possible.

    The Linux kernel couldn't have been developed without GNU tools, but you don't call something developed under Windows with Microsoft tools "MS-whatever" do you?

    Although the GNU tools are still a healthy part of this complete Operating System, it's just rude to assume that everything that isn't part of the Linux kernel is GNU. KDE isn't GNU. The YUM package maintainer is not GNU. Most of the GUI system management tools are not GNU. Apache is not GNU. The drivers and kernel are not GNU. It's not the case that the bulk of your typical distribution is Linus' kernel wrapped around nothing but GNU software.

    What does this have to do with wrapping foil around his RFID tag? Well, it's all about drawing attention to him and his organization. The things he does are not about being "right" (aluminum foil isn't necessarily going to have an effect on RFID) as they are to get exposure for GNU and the FSF.