Department of Homeland Security promises never to use RFID chips

RFID Cards Get Spin Treatment By Mark Baard

02:00 AM Mar. 29, 2005 PT

Conspiracy theorists and civil libertarians, fear not. The U.S. government will not use radio-frequency identification tags in the passports it issues to millions of Americans in the coming years.

Instead, the government will use "contactless chips."

The distinction is part of an effort by the Department of Homeland Security and one of its RFID suppliers, Philips Semiconductors, to brand RFID tags in identification documents as "proximity chips," "contactless chips" or "contactless integrated circuits" -- anything but "RFID."
WIRED

Now doesn't everyone feel better? I'm not one to throw around "1984" references, but this restructuring of the language really is kind of creepy.

Looks like everyone is left speechless by this.



We are at war with East Asia, we have always been at war with East Asia, EurAsia is our Ally, EurAsia has always been our ally.

After reading the article source I don't feel any better at all. The dept. of Homeland Security doesn't want the public confused with say Walmart's RFID chips so they are changing the name of their chip and eliminating the use of RF in the name. The chip still transmits a signal.

According to the source article, identity thieves will still be able to acquire personal information from your new passport chip using a reader device that costs as little as $500. That's nothing to successful identity thieves IMO.

Overseas, Americans will be even more vulnerable to kidnapping or worse it appears. According to the source again, a terrorist could be able to tell who is an American and know who to kidnap just by detecting for the new passport chip. It might cost the terrorist $500 but it could cost Americans their lives. I don't like this.

A magnetic bar code or something that doesn't transmit a signal right next to my body sounds much better to me. With some concern that cell phone transmissions can cause tumors, I don't want something new to add to the concern.

I'm also concerned about retail store bar codes getting replaced with RFID technology and not being able to identify products on sale with the correct product since I can match up bar code numbers now. I know of some grocery stores that discount say a 12 oz bag of snacks but not the 11.5 oz bag and you can't tell which are on sale without matching bar code numbers. I guess that's a different thread story topic though.

i wouldn't be to sure about it, i wouldn't believe to be honest. This might end up a broken promises in the long run

Originally posted by infinite
i wouldn't be to sure about it, i wouldn't believe to be honest. This might end up a broken promises in the long run

I think you missed the point - the way I understand it (I might be wrong) they still are going to be using RFID chips - they are just giving them a different name.

i found this part the most worrying;

"Let's say you are in Beirut, carrying a passport with an RFID tag," said Steinhardt. "A terrorist with a portable reader device could easily tell who is the American (in a public space)."

Originally posted by AgentSmith
I think you missed the point - the way I understand it (I might be wrong) they still are going to be using RFID chips - they are just giving them a different name.

Yes, I was trying to point that out. The government seems to think if you call it something else, people will be dumb enough to accept it. (Maybe they are right! )

Originally posted by curme
I'm not one to throw around "1984" references, but this restructuring of the language really is kind of creepy.

What restructuring? Who's promoting Newspeak?

Newspeak = Doubleplus-Ungood

Originally posted by curme
Yes, I was trying to point that out. The government seems to think if you call it something else, people will be dumb enough to accept it. (Maybe they are right!

)

thats the thing curme, they are accepting people to be dumb enough not to be able to tell the difference. They think a new name will make them accept it.

Originally posted by infinite
This might end up a broken promises in the long run

The government is notorious for delivering promises that are broken, even within mere hours after giving the promise.

US Constitution:
Article. II, Section. 1, Clause 8: Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Article. VI, Clause 3: The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

This is perhaps the most obvious example of how quickly the government breaks promises...As soon as their butts hit their new chairs, this particular promise is broken "seven ways to Sunday" by lunchtime.

Originally posted by curme
The government seems to think if you call it something else, people will be dumb enough to accept it. (Maybe they are right!

)

They are right...For the most part. There seems to be a slowly-increasing number of people who don't merely accept a change in semantics. Unfortunately, of those who can see what lies the government still produce, even fewer actually do anything about it. There are organizations that oppose such government double-talk, but the government even seems to be opposing those with veiled intimidation & lawsuits to get these people to "conform" to the "official" party-line. Another tactic the government uses is to simply refuse any actual response to legally-presented petitions. Quite a large number of specific instances can be found here.

Originally posted by invader_chris
Newspeak = Doubleplus-Ungood

Mathematic procedures are very specific...When a positive value is combined with an equal negative value, the result is zero. This is why politicians are so hard to pin down when they say anything at all...They say "plus" at the beginning of a sentence, "minus" at the end. When their done talking, it really doesn't "add up" to anything.


[edit on 6-6-2005 by MidnightDStroyer]

Originally posted by invader_chris

Originally posted by curme
I'm not one to throw around "1984" references, but this restructuring of the language really is kind of creepy.

What restructuring? Who's promoting Newspeak?

Newspeak = Doubleplus-Ungood

Aw man you beat me to it!

Yeah, I sure trust the DHS all right. Just like Clinton never had sex with that woman, and Bush is our legitimate president....

What is it with THIS government that makes them so freaking controlling? I'm well aware that serious changes are going on in the US - anyone who lives here can feel the difference between the way things are now, and the way they used to be.

What the freak is going on? What is the ultimate aim of the government in doing this? Are they planning on keeping GW Bush in office forever - he just refuses to leave when his term is up? What point is there to all this nonsense when the end is in sight and someone else will be holding all the cards after then next election?

I tell you if any govt. agency uses the therm "never" in the formation of a complete sentance you need to get the Vasiline jar out because you are going to get it while they smile at you.

The chips they are planning to use according to this article are the kind that can be read from a distance.

So you walk trough the street, theres reading towers posted every 100 yards and they can track your every movement.

Standard RFID tags still require the passing over of a RFID scanner to read it. These chips don't.