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VeriChip Implants 222 People With RFID

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i-trust-my-ass-chip-to-linux dept.

cnet-declan writes "Anyone remember VeriChip, a company that came up with the idea of implanting chips in humans for tracking them? They've been behind ideas like RFID tagging immigrant and guest workers at the border, and they've persuaded a former Bush Health Secretary to get himself chipped. In this CNET News.com article, we offer an update on how successful the idea has been. It turns out that, according to IPO documents, 222 people have been implanted, with sales revenue of $100,000."

22 of 306 comments (clear)

  1. I'd do it by 2.7182 · · Score: 4, Funny

    but I'd hate to have to eventually pull that glowing red ball through my nose just to get to Mars.

    1. Re:I'd do it by Misch · · Score: 4, Informative

      IEEE recently published a series of papers on this subject:

      IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON DEVICE AND MATERIALS RELIABILITY, VOL. 5, NO. 3, SEPTEMBER 2005

      Paper overview (PDF)

      --

      --You will rephrase your request for me to go to hell. Goto statements are not acceptable programming constructs
  2. Fancy that by Vengeance · · Score: 4, Funny

    People aren't lining up around the block to have uniquely identifiable bits of technology inserted into 'em? How come?

    --
    It was a joke! When you give me that look it was a joke.
    1. Re:Fancy that by kabocox · · Score: 4, Insightful

      People aren't lining up around the block to have uniquely identifiable bits of technology inserted into 'em? How come?

      Cause God beat the government to it. ;) We don't need another unique identifier. We have DNA, fingerprintes, footprints, retina scans, facial thermal imaging scans, picture photos, and voice scans. We've used race, sex, hair color, eye color, height, and wieght when searching for criminals or posting limited ID traits on DLs. Do we really need more? I could see family, friends, schools, religions, employeers, and community clubs (Greenpeace or NRA) wanting to track "their" members, employees, family, or those involved with that religion. I think it's funny. We don't know if God exists so we are going to build a system that can tell where everyone is at any given time because that's one of the things only God was suppposed to be able to do and then worship it. I have no religious reason to object to anyone trying to track or control others that's the fundamental thing that God, governments, and humans generally try to do (control those that don't have the power to stop them.) I'm fairly certain that privacy will become a myth within my lifetime and most people won't even notice its gone.

  3. I would leave FAST by VEGETA_GT · · Score: 5, Insightful

    if they tried to put one of those in me. I am a Canadian, and am working under contract in the US. but lets say they make it so all workers like me in a few years are required to have these flags, I can tell you now I would be going back to Canada fast. to me its a complete violation of my rights, and I well not stand for it and no one else should. Where I am is my business, and no one else's.

    1. Re:I would leave FAST by SocratesJedi · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Where I am is my business, and no one else's. Not if you are a guest in a foreign country. The interest a government has in preventing an attack does not imply that it would be right for that government to track all foreign nationals within its borders. At least, I would not support government policy that wanted this level of surveillance on foreigners. Even if you've bought into this nationalist mentality that foreigners are inherently more dangerous than domestic citizens consider: Once that infrastructure to track large numbers of foreigners is in place it would not be difficult to expand it to include tracking of citizens. I'm not willing to support any policy that will bring the government under which I live any closer to that type of police state. Are you?
    2. Re:I would leave FAST by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 4, Funny

      I can tell you now I would be going back to Canada fast
      And doing what? Sitting around wishing you had a job at American pay rates?
      Getting health care and affordable prescriptions while you sit around with a chip in your head made by the guy who has your job in China.
    3. Re:I would leave FAST by tomstdenis · · Score: 4, Interesting

      See what I hate is that's not actually true. As a visitor to the USA I have the same rights as any citizen, more specifically, I am entitled to the protection of the constitution of america and it's amendments.

      Note that voting [and some similar stuff] is a right only of citizens (as prescribed by law). So the law still applies to me, and bars me from voting because I'm not a citizen [etc].

      So if I entered the USA and then they decided to chip me they would be violating my constitutional rights to, among other things, the 4th amendment.

      The minute they toy with their own rules against foreigners they can expect retaliations around the world. Which is why, aside from the ban on habeas corpus, they don't really infringe the rights of legitimate visitors.

      That being said, I've never been questioned by the police in the USA. The only time I've had to talk to any law related folk outside of the border was a border patrol in upper state new york (re: budget exercise).

      Tom

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    4. Re:I would leave FAST by Lord+Ender · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Can someone please explain to me how this is a violation of privacy? I'm seriously curious.

      The medical benefits of EMTs being able to instantly know a person's blood type, allergies, and medical history are obvious.

      What isn't obvious is why people think short-range RFID is the same as battery-powered wild animal tracking collars. Are they just stupid? Look at the way RFID works. A person CAN NOT use it to track someone as they walk around a city. A device capable of generating the power to operate these over more than a very short distance would be very obvious to spot and would probably break every PDA and wrist-watch in the area. Also, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to survey a large number of RFID devices at the same time because of the way collisions are handled.

      If you are afraid of this yet you carry a cellphone, you are a hypocrite. For practical purposes, small* RFID tags are a slightly-longer-range barcode.

      *I realize that large tags can be read from greater distances. But that's not what we are talking about here.

      --
      A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.
    5. Re:I would leave FAST by geekoid · · Score: 5, Insightful

      When you consider the the rights gaurenteed through the constitution applies to all people, not just citizens. On might say they are inaliable to all men.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    6. Re:I would leave FAST by alienmole · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Your ability to think rationally has been seriously degraded by fear and/or propaganda. Implating chips in all foreign nationals is very much like outlawing guns: only the criminal foreign nationals would have no chips (they'd remove them if necessary), and the monitoring effort would be focused on exactly the wrong group, the law-abiding foreign nationals. You'd have to implant chips in all citizens for it to be meaningful, but then you'd have to do something about the 11 million illegal aliens who wouldn't have chips, most of whom aren't terrorists and are instead looking after your babies, washing your clothes, picking your fruit, and writing your software.

      But it is interesting to watch fascism bubbling from the grassroots up, apparently with an utter lack of self-awareness. Look in the mirror: you are responsible for the world around you. If you want it to ever change, learn to think past the jerking of your knee.

  4. So, not yet mainstream by Hrodvitnir · · Score: 5, Funny

    However, sales will skyrocket as soon as the RFID chip is required to vote on American Idol.

    --
    "There are more important things than stopping terrorism. Upholding the Constitution is one of them." - Ars Forumer.
  5. I'm sure it'll get more traction... by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 4, Funny

    When it becomes part of the hardware required to run Vista. That way, a generation of PCs later, everyone will need an implanted RFID chip.

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  6. Forehead or Back of the hand? by coren2000 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Where do they put said chip? The forehead or the back of the hand?

    1. Re:Forehead or Back of the hand? by Vengeance · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'll tell 'em where they can stick it.

      --
      It was a joke! When you give me that look it was a joke.
  7. People please... by JustNiz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We need to stand united against this. No matter what, don't allow yourself to be implanted.

    I'm really scared about this. The most scary part is that 222 people actually paid to have this done to themselves. What were they thinking? Can they really be that stupid?

  8. 666? by Cpt_Kirks · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey, if they triple the number of implanted, they will be spot on!

    1. Re:666? by SNR+monkey · · Score: 4, Funny

      Think about this... They implanted 222 people with chips. 222 is three twos, which would could write as 32. Thirty-two, as everyone one knows, is twenty-three backwards. The number 23 is everywhere!

  9. Excellent! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Excellent, We've hit 1/3 of our goal!

  10. Solution by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 5, Funny

    I read somewhere that if you want to defeat this scheme, you just need to microwave the person for like, 2 minutes tops.

  11. What the hell by el_womble · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What the hell is wrong with some people? Who, outside of crazy, Nazi scientists and ralieans thinks its a good idea to voluntarily put a chip in a persons body for no good reason. The few people who this might help, the few who are randomly incapacitated by illness have several, better alternatives: bracelets, id cards and if you want to get medievil tattooing themselves. A better alternative would be to place the chip in body jewelery. At least then, you can remove it.

    Why would you do this to yourself, and perhaps more importantly why would you invest millions in R&D? The only way this system would work on a national level was if it was mandated by government. If that happens its time to start the revolution and get in line at the gun shop not the chip shop.

    --
    Scared of flying, pointy things snce 1979!
  12. Same, but different by navygeek · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can replace those RFID's for the fraction of the cost - with the same basic outcome.

    Ladies (yeah, there are so many here) and gentlegeeks, I give you....

    The dog collar and leash!

    Already made fashionable by Goths and kinksters the world over - these handsome and/or lovely accessories come in a variety of shapes and colors to fit every occasion. Great for keeping track of guest workers, immigrants, and wandering children.