NEWS: California Elementary School Institutes Mandatory RFID Chips - Parents Outraged

A California grade school has taken the adventurous and somewhat alarming step of launching a compulsory RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) program to identify its students. Citing more efficient attendence checking and improved security, school authorities notified parents of the impending introduction of the program via mail, in addition to a publication in the school newsletter. Concerned parents have complained to school authorities and submitted their case to civil liberties groups.



Of growing concern to citizens of the United States and the European Union is the apparent increase in application of RFID chips and tags to identify and track consumer purchases, family pets, and now school children. While some may herald the introduction and acceptance of such technology into mainstream society as a boon of sorts, many others are concerned about libertarian and privacy issues. Further concerns are raised when RFID tracking becomes mandatory and the right to choose is denied.

The benefits of such technology are irrefutable, however the opportunities for abuse and invasion of privacy by government and non-government entities are also obvious. The technology for RFID creation is relatively complex, yet the technology required to read the information it contains will become common-place once use becomes widespread. If one's personal information such as credit rating, bank account information, criminal record, home address or social security number were being broadcast via radio frequency, one would possibly have reasonable cause for concern.

It seems the ball has just started rolling on widespread RFID use in humans, but where does the road end? Big Brother just got a little bit bigger.

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[edit on 2005/2/13 by wecomeinpeace]

[edit on 2005/2/13 by wecomeinpeace]

Do notice which is the first state to do this. Supposedly one of the most liberal of all the states....

Strange that all these measures which liberals are so against actually appear first in the states where the majority of people are liberals...

Excellent research and writing. Thank you.


I'll say "adventurous." And really, more than "somewhat alarming." In fact, the writing is all over the walls, everywhere.

As you said so well, "Big Brother just got a little bit bigger."



.

I don't know how bad of an idea this actually is, though. Not the implanting version, but the one already in place with the badges. Done this way, it's easy enough to remove and if the kid leaves it at home after school, well, the school should already know know where students live. Our schools are in a lot of trouble right now, and it's getting worse every year.

According to the school's weekly bulletin, the system allowed the staff to find when a non-student was in the school, due to the interloper's lack of badge.

This is an important example as well. Do you want some stranger off the street wandering through your local elementary?

As far as the trust issue, they're going to learn sooner or later what all of us here already know:

someone is always going to be watching you

I thank the powers that be that my father is now retired from teaching. Every year that he stayed a teacher after 1994, I worried more and more about him.

Its very simple I keep stressing that parents should teach their children at home is they can.

But not every family can do that, so If I was a parent I will refused to have my child wearing such a device, and will wait to see what they will do if my child does not.

See you can say not, and wait for the consequences and then take it to court.

The state can not withold education from a child, and is a lots of loopholes too.

Originally posted by Muaddib
Do notice which is the first state to do this. Supposedly one of the most liberal of all the states....

Strange that all these measures which liberals are so against actually appear first in the states where the majority of people are liberals...

Liberals are not concerned about liberty, only license. Liberty is just a smoke screen and a battlecry for when their perversions are called into question.

Originally posted by marg6043
If I was a parent I will refused to have my child wearing such a device, and will wait to see what they will do if my child does not.

I'm curious why you are so dead-set against it. I'm interested in an argument against it as I don't understand why it isn't a viable security measure.

Most schools already mandate wearing id-badges anyway, how is one with an RFID that much different?

I have work for the school system in the state of GA, I have being a teacher for 7 years in this state, we do not have any tagging methods in our schools, because the school system knows that parents will opposed to it.

My father retired last year from teaching middle school math for over 25 years. Myself being only 10 years removed from attending public school, I can safely say that neither of us are against it. I would have worn a badge during school hours that indicated where I am. OF course, I didn't skip class either.

Why are parents so against it? Wouldn't you want to know where your 6 year old is all the time, instead of just assuming that she's "in school"?

I've never heard a rational argument against it, because certainly "omg! big brother! big brother!" isn't a rational argument.

I know someone whose ex-wife wants to put one of these IN their 15 year old daughter that would contain medical information because she has some serious conditions. The girl doesn't want to wear a medical alert bracelet. I can understand his argument against its usefulness because it won't do any good unless the doctors or nurses knew to look for it. This is entirely different in purpose and implementation.

So, again, what's wrong with wearing an id card that contains a locator to be used during school hours and on shool ground? I realize that once this becomes "normal" (assuming it ever does), that it's a slippery slope from there, but with careful control and watchful citizens, I think we can keep it from getting out of control. I don't think a panicked response about "what if" is the way to go about making decisions about technology.

Worse Than A Student ID Card?

Students are required to carry identification on campus. The ID takes the form of this necklace.

Perhaps a bit intrusive, but I'm pretty sure school officials are required by law to keep close track of students, and could be sued for not doing so.

So is the problem the technology, or the law?

Personally, I think focusing on the technology is myopic.

Technology comes and goes, while government only grows and grows.

If you are afraid of big government, oppose big government.

RFID technology doesn't hurt anyone. Abusive government hurts everyone.

Originally posted by Majic

Technology comes and goes, while government only grows and grows.

If you are afraid of big government, oppose big government.

RFID technology doesn't hurt anyone. Abusive government hurts everyone.

You know I have to agree with you, that few lines brings me my own fathers words, he used to said that when governments get to big it tends to abuse it's citizens, that was back 30 years ago.

Wise words.

I wonder what type of long term scientific and independent studies have been done on this radio technology to guarantee that it has no harmful radiation effects when worn against the human body? There is still a debate about cell phones causing an increased risk of brain tumors in the population. The result of that may not be known until another decade or two when we may see a significant increase in brain diseases.

On the other hand this is a brilliant way for big brother to get young kids used to the idea that they are a cow in a herd and should get used to always being tracked. I don't like the idea. This is not a great way to teach students trust and respect for authority. The authority would rather rely on mandatory tracking methods. I suppose soon "authorities" everywhere will want to keep track of everyone else wherever you go. Keeping track of everyone makes it super easy to hunt down anyone with a dissenting view and quietly arrest them and make them disappear if they so choose. I see this as a bad sign of things to come. It'll probably be heralded as a great success to be copied everywhere.

The Cow Is Out, Time To Close The Barn Door

Originally posted by orionthehunter
On the other hand this is a brilliant way for big brother to get young kids used to the idea that they are a cow in a herd and should get used to always being tracked.

I can't think of a better way to do this than to compel every child in the country to attend a school run by the government. Make sure they line up for recess and recite the pledge of allegiance every day, too.

I understand the sentiment, and believe me, I'm the last guy who wants to see more government intrusion. In fact, while I support government-mandated educational requirements, I strongly oppose government-run schools being foisted on us.

Private schools do a much better job, train students in the basics much better and do not focus on cramming the latest bureaucrat-inspired social engineering scheme on our kids.

So there's a sample of my perspective on that.

In this case, I think the alarms are being raised about the wrong things.

Fire, Ba-a-a-ad!

Technology isn't your enemy. Focusing on RFID is a red herring. Even more so when biometric identification is far more effective, requires no implants and is almost impossible to defeat.

Strange that RFID gets all the “conspiracy” hype while biometrics sail on through, don't you think?

Meanwhile, governments grow and become more centralized and abusive of human rights – and we keep sending them back for more. What the hell.

Whether by RFID chip or “your papers” ala Subjugated Europe in WWII, an abusive government will do as it pleases.

What matters more to you: whether RFID chips versus old-fashioned tattoos are used to identify you in concentration camps, or that you allowed the government to pass a law making it completely legal to put you there in the first place?

My point may not make sense to those wanting to be Luddites about new technology, but I pray that enough people figure out that it's not straw being stolen, but the wheelbarrows under it.