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BY MEGHAN HOLOHAN. It seems like government agencies are ready to party like it’s 1984. In its zeal to prevent another terrorism attack, the U.S. has relaxed laws that protect our privacy, making it easier for the government to keep an eye on you. The following four products could help Big Brother keep watch.
1. Wristy Business: Monitors for Airline Passengers
A senior official at the U.S. Department of Homeland security supposedly has his eye on a new accessory—an EDM security bracelet made by Lamperd Less Lethal, Inc. The scary notion is that this bling will be mandatory for airline travelers to wear on their wrists (at least according to this agency letter on the Lamperd web site). A microchip in the bracelet would contain the passenger’s personal information, including: departure and destination locations and times, boarding passes, social security number, name, address, and phone numbers. More importantly, the GPS unit in it helps the government know where passengers are during their entire journey. The strangest part is that the bracelets are also equipped to restrain passengers: in the case of a hijacking, the flight staff can actually activate the bracelet to shock passengers much like a Taser. The friendly DOH is reassuring the press that law abiding citizens need not worry—personal data is only stored in the jewelry during flight and only airline staff will be able to stun wearers.
2. Cell Phone Tracking (aka That thing Morgan Freeman Refused to Do)
Remember that thing Morgan Freeman almost quit his job over in The Dark Knight? Well, it’s already happening. Albert Lazlo Barabasi has been using cell phones to track people, so that he could better understand human social habits. For a year, the Northeastern University physics professor and his colleagues’ monitored 100,000 people in a country outside of the United States, described only as “a large industrialized nation.”
The exciting news from this study? That most people stay within 20 miles of their homes. More evidence that we aren’t as spontaneous as we like to think. Ethicists balked at the research because tracking people through an item like a cell phone clearly violates U.S. citizens’ ideas of privacy. Barabasi says his research included several layers of anonymity so researchers had little idea who they were watching. He claims the upswing of this technology is that transportation could be changed to meet the real needs of people and that it might help doctor’s track contagious disease or bioterrorism outbreaks in the future. The downfalls are obvious: the tracked citizens of this industrialized country have no idea they were being watched. Worse still, Big Brother now knows he can track large groups of people for at least a year without anyone being suspicious.
3. Electronic Leashes for Dogs (and why they’re coming to humans)
Rocco the beagle’s 10-year old owner was delighted when her beloved pet was brought back home. The furry scoundrel had escaped from the backyard, and his return was due mainly to a microchip implanted in his neck. Most pet microchips use RFID and GPS technology, and are smaller than a grain of rice. They also contain huge amounts of data on them that can be accessed by scanner (i.e. where Rocco lived, his owner’s phone number, and if his shots were updated when the chip was installed).
This technology won’t just be limited to pets though. Applied Digital Systems has applied for and earned the first patent for human RFID chips, called VeriChips. The company says the VeriChips contain a person’s complete medical record and will save lives. For example, if someone’s allergic to penicillin, a doctor will just scan the person, access that information immediately and prevent a medical error. Genius. Because many of these RFID chips come with GPS capability, you too will be traceable just like Rocco. ADS reps say it has no plans to track people—unless they’re lost and families are desperately searching for their loved ones.
Amazingly, the technology is being used to track other things as as well. Food manufactures already use RFID in products, allowing grocery stores to track consumer-purchasing habits, reduce theft, and keep accurate inventory. They claim that as soon as consumers check out, the RFID becomes inactive, but many worry that the companies are tracking where their products go. In the future, expect RFID in clothes—to reduce theft, of course.
4. Online tracking: making the Internet a giant mouse trap
Internet Service Providers have been searching for ways to make extra revenue, and they haven’t always been ethical about it. Embarq, a Fortune 500 telecom company, sold its users’ personal information to other businesses. The company tested out technology created by NebuAd, without informing its subscribers. Unfortunately the plan wasn’t foolproof and the U.S. House of Representatives has been investigating whether this is a privacy violation.
NebuAd works in the ISP, recording every click, creating a consumer profile so that it can send users targeted ads. DoubleClick does the same thing, but only from select web pages. Because NebuAd works within the ISP framework it lurks in the system and sees everywhere you click your mouse. For it to work, ISPs install a sniffer box, which catalogs user behavior as it monitors communication between the user’s computer and web sites. Free Press and Public Knowledge contend that NebuAd also includes fake information at the end of a Yahoo or Google search that directs users to a NebuAd website that inserts cookies on your browser. The process supposedly improves the nefarious company’s ability to monitor everything you search on the web. NebuAd reps argue that the information they collect is anonymous and web users can opt out at any time. Unfortunately most users don’t know if their ISP is using NebuAd.
Comments (23)
Comment
Big Brother is AWESOME! I love to hear about all the ways that we are being watched. These are only the ones that we know about. Imagine what is out there watching us that we don’t have a clue about (and whom!)
- “Beware of Weather Balloons…They aren’t really Ballons at all!”
posted by Snake Plisken on 8-15-2008 at 1:58 pm
I used to get really worried and upset about this stuff until I realized that I wasn’t anywhere near as important as I thought I was, and therefore didn’t have to worry about being watched. This goes for 99 percent of the population. The remaining 1 percent has bigger fish to fry.
posted by Joanna on 8-15-2008 at 2:43 pm
The first one is a fake. The company trying to hawk the bracelets planted the story to generate buzz. Homeland security officials in charge of actually purchasing such a thing said were not interested and are still not interested. Homeland security doesn’t even have the political capital to pull off anything this draconian and that’s a more telling reason why this thing has to be a fake.
posted by Andy on 8-15-2008 at 2:47 pm
I love my big brother.
posted by Witty Nickname on 8-15-2008 at 2:54 pm
You know what? I was planning to go teach in my dad’s home country for six months. I think I may just make that permanent, thanks. Would rather live in a third world country than be tracked constantly.
posted by Nicole on 8-15-2008 at 6:21 pm
thought you might enjoy anais mitchell’s song “1984″
there is a clip on youtube of her performing this song and it’s worth a look/listen.
1984 by anais mitchell
down at headquarters, there’s a big database
with black and white photos of the side of your beautiful face
and your library record, and all your test scores
and an invitation to party like it’s 1984
baby, don’t look so nervous, they just want the facts
and it’s all written out in the usa patriot act
cause we don’t take no chances in a nation at war
so tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 1984
oh, honey, what did i tell you about the house being bugged?
they can hear us making breakfast, they can hear us making love
but excuse me a minute- big brother’s at the door
and he’s ready to party like it’s 1984
you know you’re my one and only; you always have been
sure is gonna be lonely after i turn you in
so i’ll wait till tomorrow to file my report
and tonight we can party like it’s 1984
posted by anneke on 8-16-2008 at 10:31 am
Scary stuff when you think about it
posted by harry on 8-16-2008 at 12:00 pm
“Most pet microchips use RFID and GPS technology, and are smaller than a grain of sand.” Since when is GPS technology able to be shrunk to the size of a grain of sand?
posted by Chris H on 8-16-2008 at 12:08 pm
Get real. Did anyone read the link to the supposed “agency letter from the Lampered website”? It reads as if it were written by a 12 year old. There were more punctuation and grammatical errors in that letter than you could shake a stick at. BOGUS.
posted by Garbage on 8-16-2008 at 12:08 pm
Look up Choice Point Inc… They collect data on U.S. citizens and then sell it to the government because the government isn’t allowed to do that (supposedly). They also helped take poor and minority voters off the voter rolls in Florida for Jeb Bush which cost Al Gore the election.
posted by Luke on 8-16-2008 at 12:25 pm
Doesnt the Bible have something about this ?
“And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”
You got to hand it over to the prophecy that they predicted that individual humans can be tracked almost 2000 years ago!
posted by ajm on 8-16-2008 at 12:30 pm
Sound like…every body is going to be a terrorist
posted by Philippines on 8-16-2008 at 12:50 pm
4 Scary Toys in Big Brothers Toolbox | nerdd.net…
\r\nIt seems like government agencies are ready to party like its 1984. In its zeal to prevent anoth…
posted by nerdd.net | news and opinion on 8-16-2008 at 12:52 pm
I put a chip programmed with all my personal data in the ‘material’ every I go to the bathroom.
Big Brother gave up ‘watching’ me…’he’ just thinks I’m a worthless piece of crap.
posted by Jeff on 8-16-2008 at 1:07 pm
Dude, check your facts.
DHS has repeatedly stated that they will not implement the tazer wrist band and the pet implants are the size of a grain of rice, not a grain of sand.
posted by FACT CHECKER on 8-16-2008 at 1:21 pm
This can be frightening. Which is why laws and transparency is needed to protect ourselves.
posted by Free Xbox 360 Elite on 8-16-2008 at 1:41 pm
All of you that think this doesn’t pertain to you or that this doesn’t affect you YOUR WRONG. Those in power can use all info to stay in power and to take enemies out of power. Do you think journalism will be open and honest with constant monitoring. Do you think this will help a 2 party system stay 2 party? This affects all of us wake up.
posted by FYI on 8-16-2008 at 2:16 pm
Well i hope they track this! I own several guns i prefer anarchy over this insanity and i’ll gladly bear arms in revolution against the neo america socialist and facist agenda, wich translates to enslavement of everyone where rights are replaced by privlages! but wait the’ll be coming for the second amendment next, hahahah come to my house! and no one has seen anything yet just wait, wait till things get worse economically and politically and pressure on the government to exposes thier true dark side. Then maybe enough people will wake up, we dont need a chip to get food its grows out of the ground, we dont need thier airplanes to get around, we dont need big brothers helping hand its time to cut it off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by James Carrigan on 8-16-2008 at 5:02 pm
And now there are four more reasons why I moved to New Zealand…
posted by Dawn on 8-17-2008 at 3:04 am
Big Brother this, Big Brother that. While everyone is worried about the government invading their privacy Big Business is doing just that. I fear Corporate America more than the government. Gas prices, food prices, energy prices, medical costs…if there’s a profit to be had, Big Business is going to squeeze it out of you while paying their workers the least amount possible. And unfortunately there is a profit in personal data, more so for Big Business than Big Brother. Next time you’re worried about someone spying on you, check for the RFID chip on your cereal box or your TIVO keeping tabs on what you watch instead of the camera watching the public streets or your luggage being checked at the airport.
posted by Tom on 8-17-2008 at 10:27 am
The whole thing on RFID is dumb. The writer(s) of this article obviously don’t understand the technology.
It’s not like GPS. Once you leave the realm of RFID infrastructure (which is costly to implement), there is no way to track an individual tag.
So they could not, say, sell you a shirt, then track where the shirt goes after it leaves the mall. Sure, they could set up RFID infrastructure all over the mall to track where you went after you left their store, but that’s more for marketing purposes than some sinister government plot.
Do your research. Yes, being in a bunch of databases just sucks… But it’s the price we pay for living in an ever-connected and highly competitive business arena, where advertisers have to try harder to figure out how to sell us stuff.
RFID has limitations… And so does GPS. RFID tags can be tiny, but have limited tracking capability. GPS can go anywhere you have line-of-sight to the sky, but is pretty bulky (no implantation possible at this time)
posted by Jackie on 8-18-2008 at 6:59 am
That’s it! I’m putting my tinfoil hat on now. I’d like to see them get through my lead underpants.
posted by Nick on 8-18-2008 at 12:06 pm
To FYI- Incorrect spelling and sentence run-ons affect all of us, too!
posted by Orange on 8-18-2008 at 1:12 pm