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free103point9 Newsroom has moved to http://free103point9.wordpress.com/as of March 18, 2010 A blog for radio artists with transmission art news, open calls, microradio news, and discussion of issues about radio art, creative use of radio, and radio technologies. free103point9 announcements are also included here.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

CA bill would ban forced subdermal RFID-tagging of humans

From Boing Boing:
California's senate passed a bill last week that bans the forced RFID tagging of humans (think: prisoners, employees, pedos out on the street who've done their time). The state senator who sponsored the bill described that scenario as the "the ultimate invasion of privacy." The bill is on its way to Governor Schwarzenegger's desk now; if it is signed into law, California would become the third state with such a ban on the books (along with Wisconsin and North Dakota).

Snip from Ars Technica post on this story:
"Senate Bill 362 'would prohibit a person from requiring, coercing, or compelling any other individual to undergo the subcutaneous implanting of an identification device,' and a similar version has already passed the state Assembly. Joseph Simitian, who came up with the idea, laments the fact that the RFID industry does not appear to find his idea a good one.

'I think it's unfortunate and regrettable that the industry hasn't come out in support of SB 362,' he said in a statement after the bill passed the Senate. 'I understand why we're having a robust debate about the privacy concerns related to RFID, but at the very least, we should be able to agree that the forced implanting of under-the-skin technology into human beings is just plain wrong. I'm deeply concerned that this isn't a given for the industry.'

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Friday, April 13, 2007

North Dakota adds to RFID paranoia

From Wired blog:
North Dakota has passed a law protecting its citizens from a danger that to date only seems to affect sci-fi protagonists and people who have been lax in taking their anti-psychotic medications.

Senate Bill 2415 decrees that "a person may not require that an individual have inserted into that individual's body a microchip containing a radio frequency identification device."

Wisconsin passed a similar ban last year. After living in Madison for several years, I predict this will mainly please the perennial City Council candidate whose platform consisted of getting assistance in stopping the radio signals that government entities were beaming into his head.

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