US group implants electronic tags in workers
 

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/ec414700-9bf4- ... e2340.html

[quote:21608]US group implants electronic tags in workers
By Richard Waters in San Francisco
Published: February 12 2006 22:02 | Last updated: February 12 2006 22:02

An Ohio company has embedded silicon chips in two of its employees - the first known case in which US workers have been “tagged” electronically as a way of identifying them.

CityWatcher.com, a private video surveillance company, said it was testing the technology as a way of controlling access to a room where it holds security video footage for government agencies and the police.

Embedding slivers of silicon in workers is likely to add to the controversy over RFID technology, widely seen as one of the next big growth industries.

RFID chips – inexpensive radio transmitters that give off a unique identifying signal – have been implanted in pets or attached to goods so they can be tracked in transit.

“There are very serious privacy and civil liberty issues of having people permanently numbered,” said Liz McIntyre, who campaigns against the use of identification technology.

But Sean Darks, chief executive of CityWatcher, said the glass-encased chips were like identity cards. They are planted in the upper right arm of the recipient, and “read” by a device similar to a cardreader.

“There’s nothing pulsing or sending out a signal,” said Mr Darks, who has had a chip in his own arm. “It’s not a GPS chip. My wife can’t tell where I am.”

The technology’s defenders say it is acceptable as long as it is not compulsory. But critics say any implanted device could be used to track the “wearer” without their knowledge.

VeriChip – the US company that made the devices and claims to have the only chips that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration – said the implants were designed primarily for medical purposes.

So far around 70 people in the US have had the implants, the company said. [/quote:21608]

Hell no...im glad I can't be identified...hell I don't even have a criminal record...and im a keep it that way.

as long as its voluntary i dont care.

I dunno, with that case it's a company that has sensitive information. If I worked there, it would be easier to have the chip to get into the information than to carry around an access card or something that could be potentially dangerous if lost or stolen. It would be convenient, but I dunno all the information it sotres or anything so I'm not sure.

exactly. I have to carry a pair of keycards around on me to get into work, then into the inventory office. Ive left them at home before or had to borrow someones to get in.

It would be easier to wave my hand.

imwithstupid:

[quote:0418e]“It’s not a GPS chip. My wife can’t tell where I am.”[/quote:0418e]haha, that struck me as funny

having a scannable implant like that would be handy if you happened to
become disoriented after chasing a cat through a strange neighbourhood.

[quote="Eight Ace":52912]having a scannable implant like that would be handy if you happened to
become disoriented after chasing a cat through a strange neighbourhood.[/quote:52912]
LMAO

when they pry it from my cold dead hands.................... oh wait wrong thread

[quote="Sgt>Stackem":f5d50]when they pry it from my cold dead hands.................... oh wait wrong thread[/quote:f5d50]
wrong thread maybe....but I hear ya man, I hear ya... cool: