RFID - Friend or Foe?

[Smee]

Over my lifetime, I have heard various stories about the "threat" of one world government --- kind of like the totalitarian "1984" scenario. I haven't gone off the deep end . . . yet . . . but things are getting more and more strange and too controlling. Besides the desire to take away the weapons of the masses, the right to privacy is in the mix too.

In September of 2008, Farm Bureau (Insurance) had an article about how the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chip will change our lives. According to the article, the only barrier to all goods being RFID tagged is the 7¢ per chip cost. Once this is overcome, it will become a reality.

We've no doubt all heard about how you will soon be able to roll your shopping cart to the checkout counter and the cart will be scanned and you will be charged for all of the items in your cart. That is the result of RFID chips transmitting after they are "excited" by the reader's magnetic field.

Not too spooky sounding, and kind of convenient (except for the cashiers who will no longer be needed) because the money will automatically be removed from your bank account by your RFID enabled debit or credit card. Voila! No more hot checks . . .

The University of Arkansas, in conjunction with Wal Mart (Cashiers are a major cost of business to them) is working on this system to be put in place very soon. They have been putting the various pieces in place for quite some time. The company being used to install the various hardware and software to make the systems active employs a former workmate of mine. He is involved in making many of the installs, and is flown across the country to do so.

Here is a quote from the magazine article:

South Korean manufacturer Samsung is set to release an RFID-enabled refrigerator either late this year or in 2009. It will use the technology in several ways.

First, if you use RFID-tagged food containers, the 'fridge will be able to monitor its own contents at all times. If you run low on a particular item, the appliance will add it to a digital shopping list.

When it's time to buy groceries, your smart refrigerator (the Samsung model, at least) will handle the situation in one of two user-defined ways. It will either notify you by sending your shopping list to your cell phone, or it will contact the grocery store directly and order the groceries for you.

So, if a store delivers and has your prior approval, it's possible you can come home from work to find your groceries waiting at the door.

In addition, the refrigerator will keep track of and display every item's expiration date and nutritional information - and will suggest dinner recipes based on ingredients it knows you have.

Am I just being "paranoid" or are others concerned about this also

With that small amount of knowledge in hand, it makes this video even more frightening:

 

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[Zephyr]

Hmmm....

So how long will it take (unscrupulous) people to figure out how to disable the RFID and wheel "free" stuff out with their cart? (I bet, not very long...! )

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

If ye were of the world, the world would love it's own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Thank God I am in this world, but I am not of this world.

lose your billfiold and you will be buying steaks and beer for an entire fraternity.
siegfried schlagrule

 

[seger98]

I have to disagree with you here Smee. No debit / Credit card will be needed since they'll be able to have direct access to your bank account online. Course by then we won't be dealing in USD but rather World Bank Credits. It pays to be prepared to live the Primitive lifestyle.

I couldn't agree more!

 

[Smee]

Firstly, McGearhead, LOVE the "Rat Fink" (r) avatar. Reminds me of being a kid and even the old CARToons magazines I used to buy as a kid.

I have to disagree with you here Smee. No debit / Credit card will be needed since they'll be able to have direct access to your bank account online. Course by then we won't be dealing in USD but rather World Bank Credits. It pays to be prepared to live the Primitive lifestyle.

Maybe the way I worded it wasn't too clear.

The RFID chip you will have IN your person (the debit/credit card thus expires when you do) would be excited by the electromagnetic field just like the rfid chip IN your bag of potato chips. Once the items have been scanned, the money will be automatically deducted from your account with whatever financial institution(s) it is affiliated.

Don't believe that people will allow the chips to be implanted? A bar in Mexico (don't have the article handy, so the country may be wrong) frequented by tourists, is now implanting the RFID chips as a "convenience" to its customers. Thus they don't have to wait in line to pay their tab. Privacy exchanged for convenience.

The entire system will be ripe for abuse, as even old geeks like me can figure out that I probably need to buy some items just for the RFID chips. and the smile they will bring when someone I don't like gets a humongous bill for items he never bought.

Just pull the chips from the new television I need to buy because my old one no longer works due to the switch to digital (even the converter boxes do emit a small outgoing signal via your antenna) as well as the new VCR etc. Just plant the chips in a bag of Doritos (their favorite) and drop it in his cart.

We all know that machines never make mistakes.

Would it work? If it's anything like the security devices Wally World uses now, oh yeah! The fall hurt, but putting the sticky little tag on the officer's boot was a pretty eazy. Lots-o-fun watching as they went thru his purchases one by one and none of them set off the alarm. He then had to empty his pockets, turn over his coat, etc. all while his Sheriff looked on. Kinda made up for the busted tail light ticket he gave the wife.

 

[Zephyr]

They're probably already implanting RFID into people via free flu shots....

(j/k. Really! )

 

[truckinbutch]

They're probably already implanting RFID into people via free flu shots....

(j/k. Really! )

Yup. And if you don't take the flu shot you are going to die from the virus engineered to eliminate noncompliant people.