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August 23, 2006

RFID to Replace Soldiers' Dog Tags?

Americans instinctively recoil in horror at the thought of the government having the ability to track the movements of every citizen. There was initially outrage over the notion of Social Security numbers for that very reason. Now we're talking about the science fiction possibility of a required radio frequency identification chip implanted in every citizen. If you try to explain the aversion to the idea, you sound like a paranoid conspiracy nut. But we just know it is a bad idea.

Unfortunately, it looks as if our 1.4 million servicemen and women might well become guinea pigs in the first stages of a grand social experiment. VeriChip Corp. wants to replace dog tags with RFID chips and is lobbying the Pentagon to make that transition.

The company, which the Examiner notes has powerful political connections, is "in discussions” with the Pentagon, VeriChip spokeswoman Nicole Philbin told the Examiner. "The potential for this technology doesn’t just stop at the civilian level,” Philbin said. Company officials have touted the chips as versatile, able to be used in a variety of situations such as helping track illegal immigrants or giving doctors immediate access to patient’s medical records.

How does this feel to you? And how does it feel to know that former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, sits on the board of directors of VeriChip? Are there any "checks, balances, and safeguards" that could possibly be put into place sufficient to ease your concerns?

After watching the Bush Administration abuse its power to access personal data, and knowing what I do about Hitler's use of IBM databases to sort out his victims, my answer is a resounding NO. And if that means I have to wear a tin foil hat, then so be it.

Posted by Becky at August 23, 2006 12:05 PM