Sometimes I scare myself
The darkness within

I know... This sounds Orwellian, and this is not "1984". It's 2005 but that might as well be the only difference. This could very well be the begining of the end of what annonimity we have left. This year at Def-con 2005 (hacker confrence held yearly in LasVegas) a group of techie highschoolers set a new world record for reading an RFID chip, 67 feet. States need to comply with new fedral regulations to add "Real ID" (rfid) technology to drivers licenses and passports. The same regulations set a dead line to intigrate law enforcement databases. All this might on the surface lend a feeling of security, they are just trying to keep us safe right? This technology combined with the culture of fear created from the attacks on 9/11 and knee jerk legislation such as the "Patriot" act make this fictional scenerio more likely than not to be the world we will be living in in a not so distant future.
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RFID. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. They are very small computer chips that pick up a radio wave from control units and send back their encoded information. Wal-Mart has mandated that all their suppliers put them in their products in 2005 if they want to keep selling to them.
Now let’s jump ahead a little. As you walk up to the checkout the cash register computer is emanating a radio frequency wave. Depending on the system it will scan 30-50 tags a second from ten feet away, whir, buzz, bing everything has been totaled up. The lady says “I see here you have VISA and Master Card, which would you like it on? Debit or credit?” Now you’re checked out and the items are still in your cart, you did NOT have to get out your credit card (as they too have RFID chips in them as well as you drivers license). The store has instant inventory and replacements are already being processed somewhere for shipment. It is all quite amazing as well as convenient.
But there is a problem a big one. That driver’s license has a RFID chip that has a 4-6 MG bit storage capacity. It is called Real ID; it is the new national ID card that was passed into law before the last election under the McCain rider in the transportation section of a 9-11 bill passed into law at that time. It allows random traffic stops WITHOUT probable cause, to check your new ID. They can actually read it at some distance, and probable know who you are already. But they may just want to search your car for fun to make you feel safe, and without a warrant (thank you Mr. McCain).
Now lets get a little better feel of what might just happen in such a stop. When they read your Real ID (Google REAL ID) with their scanner there is a problem. Seems last week when your husband was having trouble with the lawn mower and was working on it he bought some starting ether. Tommy your youngest son has the sniffles and you bought some decongestant, and your husband ask you to pick up Drano for the bathroom sink. All these items were automatically flagged and record of the purchase was stored on your driver’s license. It has now been given to the police and they are preparing to raid your house, without a warrant. Sound unreal, wrong! You just purchased ingredients for a meth-lab.
Well they raided you house now and took a bunch of stuff including your computer. They have 30 days to manufacture probable cause for the search and turn it over to a judge to show cause and ask for grand jury proceedings. Mean while you are on a watch list. Any purchases you make can be tracked. Oh yes I for got to tell you, those little tags can be tracked by modern police, CIA, FBI, ATF, DEA equipment. They could follow your shirt, shoes, and car tires with their RFID chips. Hmmm, doesn’t sound any more uplifting does it?
They are already implanting biochips into people that will replace the need for the cards, as it will contain all the same information and it can’t be stolen like cards.