Have you heard of RFID tags, yet? If so, you may want to read this article from The Nation. Haven’t heard of RFID tags? Then you’ll *definitely* want to check it out.
I’m a little hesitant when it comes to RFID for the same reason everyone else is: Privacy. I’m not terribly optimistic that in this day and age we’ll use this technology responsibly. Think about it. Today, we fingerprint people coming into the country. Tomorrow, what’s to stop us from requiring them to carry an RFID-enabled identity card at all times. Just because it wouldn’t apply to you or me doesn’t mean it’s not important.
What amazes me is the reaction, or lack thereof, I encounter when this topic comes up in conversation. There are so many conspiracy theorists out there, but when this real-world potential for abuse is pointed out they’ll just sort of roll their eyes.
And, by the way, if you’re not convinced that this will affect us very soon, realize that some huge retailers are pushing for RFID in *everything*.
When was the last time you shopped at Walmart??
Entries (RSS)