Thursday, November 8, 2012

Biometric Surveillance Meets Nanotechnology


Biometric Surveillance Meets Nanotechnology
Are we living in the last days of being wild and 'natural' humans? We take for granted that our thoughts are private, owned by us, and always will be.
The other day, I took some photos of wild geese in Canada, but when I blew up the photos, I was dumbfounded to see white plastic collars on their necks, with numbers. These tracking numbers were RFID tags of sorts. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Devices), is a tracking technology.
RFID technology is currently used on banking, library books, pets, cattle, autos, medications, and some humans (such as for patient identification purposes). The replacement of bar codes in grocery stores is another application of RFID chips, for the stated purpose of expediting the 'checking out process'. YES, it is true, there are conveniences associated with RFID technology, but it boils down to tracking. Tracking sounds like being organized, or civilized. But when tracking goes into every facet of our lives, it has chilling consequences.
Today, there are beta tests being conducted in some schools, in Florida, Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana. This is to track children, if they get to class on time, or, spend too much time where they should not. They are being required to wear tracking necklaces.
Tracking, and surveillance of 'smart' things (phones, cards, chickens), are, in theory 'keeping us safe'. Already, the US Department of Agriculture demands that ranchers use RFID chips to monitor their livestock. Tracking things is one thing, but tracking your biology?
RFID systems generally consist of a transponder and reader. The reader is usually connected to a computer database. RFID chips have been around for a while. In fact, it is sophisticated enough that people are concerned about their information being stolen just upon walking in an airport, for instance.
But, now comes the 'fun' part: nanotechnology, the atomic and molecular computing technology, merging with RFID.
Imagine a strand of hair with several hundred computers on it. These can track all sorts of things including biology, or biometrics. The science fiction story, 1984, by George Orwell seems to be unfolding with precision.
Now that nanotechnology is quickly emerging, RFID chips can be implanted under the skin...and at some point, will not visible. Think about computer tracking under your skin, with external readers, and data collection mining. Creepy.
Tracking health, your body fluids, your power usage, your whereabouts, your money, your food, eventually, your thoughts? No problem? Besides your information potentially 'leaking' out such as your banking, social security number, or health status, think about atomic sized 'machines', potentially going into your cells. That sounds unimaginable with really weird possible problems where the human being will become more mechanized, than human - transhuman?.
Fusion centers are being built across the USA to store the surveillance data in many fields. There are far reaching implications in these rapidly changing industries. Where do we draw a limit to how much tracking there is? Will we have a choice, or will our every move and biology be tracked, or, controlled? Stay tuned.

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