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Proposal to Implant RFID Chips in Immigrants

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the goes-over-like-a-ton-of-bricks dept.

John3 writes "Some people are OK with voluntarily implanting themselves with RFID chips, but how about making RFID implantation mandatory for immigrant and guest workers? VeriChip Corporation chairman Scott Silverman has proposed implanting RFID chips to register workers as they cross the border. According to Silverman, 'We have talked to many people in Washington about using it...' Privacy advocates see this move by VeriChip as a way to introduce their product to Latin America after a lukewarm reception in North America. Would immigrant workers trade their privacy for the opportunity to work in the U.S.? If this type of tracking is enacted, how long before the government decides to start tracking others for various purposes (for example, pedophiles who are released from prison)?"

12 of 559 comments (clear)

  1. A Cautionary Tale by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 5, Insightful


    First they chipped the products,
        and I didn't speak up,
            because I was not a product.
    Then they chipped the livestock,
        and I didn't speak up,
            because I was not livestock.
    Then they chipped the house pets,
        and I didn't speak up,
            because I was not a house pet.
    Then they chipped the immigrants,
        and I didn't speak up,
            because I was not an immigrant.
    Then they chipped the felons,
        and I didn't speak up,
            because I was not a felon.

    Then they chipped me,
        and by that time there was no one
            left to speak up for me.
    (Apologies to Reverend Martin Niemoller)
    --
    ____

    ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

    1. Re:A Cautionary Tale by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 5, Insightful


      You don't have to get chipped, but no loyal, patriotic citizen would conceiveably refuse...ergo, if you refuse, you automatically make the 'short list' of terror suspects.

      The 'short list' is only called that by comparison...everybody is on the 'long list'.

      --
      ____

      ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

    2. Re:A Cautionary Tale by GWTPict · · Score: 5, Insightful
      WHOOSH!! Congratulations, that was the sound of the whole point of the grandparents soppy poem disappearing into the distance without you noticing it. He wasn't saying you are required to microchip your dog, he wasn't saying that anyone has microchipped immigrants or proposed doing it to felons. You know, I'm confused, was your mention of great literature intended to demonstrate you're familiar with the original verse? Because if so how could you so totally fail to understand the point of it?

      Yes it is a slippery slope, if you're going to fuck people over do it incrementally, they'll accept it much easier that way. If immigrants etc were chipped how long do you think it would be before someone suggested various other segments of the population could usefully be chipped? Mmm? you might trust the government you have now but what about the one 5, 10 or 15 years down the line?

      I've spent the last 18 years of my life writing systems that need to identify people, to say whether they've payed their rent or not, what care are they getting from social services, is their library book overdue or not, the list is endless. From a purely job based perspective, yes, chip the buggers from birth. From a purely personal perspective, come near me with a chipping device and I'll take your arm off and beat you to death with the soggy end.

      Technology is neither good or evil, the uses it's put to are another matter, the danger is once it's out of the box you can't put it back in.

  2. wait a second.... by MustardMan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Before you go all "1984" on our asses, take a moment to stop and realize that this is the company that SELLS THE CHIPS making the proposal, NOT the government. What next, a company that makes bombs approving of a war? Or, shock and horror, a cigarette company talking about how harmless their product is? News flash: Guy who sells product proposes people use product. Film at 11.

    1. Re:wait a second.... by realmolo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Well, you're right. HOWEVER, as we all know, money talks in Washington. If this company bribes the right politicians, and promises some kind of benefit to a given congressman's state, then it WILL happen.

  3. What the FUCK? by mg2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Privacy advocates see this move by VeriChip as a way to introduce their product to Latin America after a lukewarm reception in North America.

    Um, um, what? Just a marketing ploy? Just looking to get more market share?

    In other news, The Burger King Corporation has finished constructing it's first run of biomechanical overlord drones. These drones have been shown to be capable of both mind control and world domination. Market Analysts see this as a ploy to increase the Whopper's market share, as the Big Mac has rapidly been gaining popularity.

  4. How does this solve the problem? by pavon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Isn't the problem with immigration that we have today due to those who enter our country illegally? How does this solve that problem? Only those legally immigrating would be tagged. It may even make the problem worse by motivating more people to risk entering the country illegally rather than be tagged if they enter legally.

    Obscene violation of human rights: Check
    Increased power given to government: Check
    Does not help solve any real problem: Check

    Sounds like another winner from the people that brought you the Real ID Card and Airline Profiling.

  5. Re:Yay! by Digital+Autumn · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I bet Mr. Verichip is kicking himself that his company didn't exist back in the grand old days of slavery. He would have made a killing.

  6. Slippery slope? by sharky611aol.com · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The summary actually raises a good question as to whether this sort of "tagging" should be allowed at all.

    Sure, let's go ahead and tag immigrants. And pedophiles. And murderers. And rapists. Any got a problem with that? (I'm going to ignore the fact that pedphiles were the next logical step after immigrants for the time being...)

    Ok, how about hackers? Jaywalkers? IP pirates? Yes, I know the whole "Slippery slope" argument is technically a fallacy, but when you're dealing with the government, it tends to be the norm. When has the gov't ever been happy with a limit on their power once a particular "right" is stripped away?

    I think we all need to agree that nobody needs to be "tagged" for any reason. We have a right to have our identity hidden unless we have performed actions which forfeit this right. You have the right to refuse to show identification to a law enforcement officer if they do not have probable cause. (Before I get lots of cries of foul, Hiibel v. Sixth Judicial Dist. Court of Nev. still requires "suspicious activity") All that goes out the window though if all an officer has to do is wave a wand at you.

  7. Re:Did they learn nothing from Guantanamo Bay? by smellsofbikes · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I entirely agree with you. But there are lots of people who don't. A friend of mine posted something about Guantanamo on her blog and had tens of people saying, in effect, that they had no problem whatsoever with innocent people being imprisoned, tortured, and killed, if there was even a chance that some of those people might be terrorists.

    That breaks my brain. Once you make that leap, then *everyone* is your enemy and you grab a gun and just start shooting until there's nobody left, to keep yourself safe.

    Which, basically, is what the USA is doing in the world at large. There are lots of people who don't see a problem with this, maybe even a majority of Americans.

    --
    Nostalgia's not what it used to be.
  8. Re:Yay! by pizzaman100 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Hey numbnuts ... this chip idea is for the illegals crossing the Mexican border. Not for the legal immigrants.

    So how do you chip illegals? Do you do it when they sneak in?

  9. Re:Yay! by Aspirator · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm also a legal immigrant from the UK (and an employer). I felt that I was treated
    like a criminal at the US port of entry (including fingerprinting). I doubt that
    I would have come if I had to be chipped to do it.

    Back then I had a perception of the US as a 'land of the free'. It is becoming less so,
    OTOH so is the UK.

    Counteless patriots have died to defend the freedoms we now so happily fritter away.

    Now chipping ex cons (provided that it is the law at the time they commit their crime,
    and that it is part of the sentence) seem altogether more reasonable to me.