RFID implants, surveillance and ethics
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) implants are rice-grain size devices injected into the body. They contain data that can be scanned using radio waves. For some time they have been used to keep track of straying pets but a FDA (Food and Drug Administration, USA) ruling in 2005 permitted their use in humans, primarily for medical reasons.
Until now, most applications have been industrial and commercial, for example in keeping tabs on Wal-Mart inventories. The attacks of 9/11 prompted Verichip Corporation to propose RFID implants for identifying high-risk workers such as firefighters. Now a number of people have been implanted, from Beach Club patrons in Barcelona to Alzheimer's patients in New Jersey. Three questions about RFID implants are discussed here: One, what is driving their development and adoption? Two, what are their surveillance implications? Three, what sorts of assessment and critique are most appropriate?
The Surveillance Studies Centre
c/o David Murakami Wood
Department of Criminology
University of Ottawa
Canada