Holy Mother Of God!

K

k_dawg

New member
Brittan Elementary School in Sutter, California, introduced a scheme last month to use RFID to identify its pupils. The RFID chips are worn around the neck in the form of ID badges and can be used to monitor where the children are on school grounds, and carry the child's name, photo, grade and unique school ID number.

http://software.silicon.com/security/0,39024655,39127785,00.htm


http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050210-4603.html

Wow. I am, just speechless. I *NEVER* even contemplated of this coming along..
 
Well, at least they're not implanting them. :eek:

And actually, if I had a bunch of minor children under my care, I'd WANT to know where they all were at all times.

The more I think about it, this just might be the BEST use of RFID I've seen yet.

When The State or a corporation decides it wants to mandate ADULTS having RFID locators, then we've got a problem.
 
Tc-
The more I think about it, this just might be the BEST use of RFID I've seen yet.
Click to expand...
It's called "Dumbing Down the Masses from the Bottom Up"

When The State or a corporation decides it wants to mandate ADULTS having RFID locators, then we've got a problem.
Click to expand...
Not if your first statement is acted upon and we wait 15 years. ;)
Rich
 
Rich,

Are you calling for greater personal responsibility to be taken by elementary schoolers?



I think it very strange that we concurrently have threads about safeguarding US security through any means necessary, and a furor over using tracking devices for child safety.
 
I'm not sure where I stand on tracking children in this manner, however, it can only lead to the same policy being adopted my corporations, local, state, and federal goverments, and that is not acceptable.
 
Rich-

I'll emphasize: this may not be a bad idea for using technology to assist in keeping tabs on minor children while in a school situation. You'll note the report concerns an elementary school, assuming ages 6-12.

I have ID chips in all my dogs, just in case they get lost. If I had kids in elementary school, having them wear ID badges with RFID while AT SCHOOL sounds like a good idea.

The tech WILL be implemented; it behooves us to acknowledge proper uses while adamantly opposing expansion beyond that. Luddite denial of ANY use will marginalize opposition to IMproper generalized use.

I am as rigorous and watchful for attacks on liberty as anyone, but must confess that if I am in loco parentis for young kids and responsible for their safety, their rights to privacy and freedom of movement are NOT the same as those of an adult or even an adolescent.

I would, however, make sure the PARENTS of the kids were aware of and consenting to the use; in a better world, they would havethe option of declining permission (and assuming liability if the kid goes missing) or of enrolling them in another school that didn't use the badges.

I'll sadly assume that the parents of these kids weren't given an option; and I'll be deside you on the barricade if/when general use among adolescents or adults is considered, especially if mandated.

Oh, and I AM opposed to RFID in drivers licences, or any National ID with or without RFID.
 
This doesn't concern me too much. If a kid can't wrap his mind around the concept of taking the thing off, he probably needs to be tracked lest he end up hurting himself.
 
Handy-
I never said I support "safeguarding US security through any means necessary" or anything close to that. I'm a staunch lbertarian (small "l") and am adamantly opposed to invasions of US Citizens' privacy...all types.

tc-
I would agree that RFID's for children are a good idea for consideration....for parental consideration, that is. The State has zero right to mandate. So, I think we agree.
Rich
 
Rich, do you really think parents have the right to implant their children with RFID trackers? Minors are wards of their parents, but they are not property. Parents cannot do anything they feel like to their children, and I think implanted RFID trackers cross the line.
 
Rich, I said "we have threads", not YOU have concurrent posts. General comment.


This is a single school doing this for its students and parents. How does that constitute "the State"?
 
Tyme-
I would even go as far as your position, if we're talking implants. I wasn't thinking implants, but bracelets or necklaces as described in the story....not lots different from cell phones.

In any case, it's certainly not an issue for Big Brother to mandate.
Rich
 
Hmm, I don't know where I got the implant scenario.

Okay, RFID in a wallet. What good does it do for parents to require that? RFID scanners are mostly in stores at the moment, and the cost of outfitting an entire house with RFID scanners isn't cheap, not to mention weatherproof RFID scanners outside. Then there would have to be some internet protocol for sharing RFID tracking information. Suppose the parents of two friends, John and James, want to track their children. It doesn't do much good for James's parents to have RFID tracking at their house if John's parents can't access it.

I really doubt stores would ever allow the public to access their RFID scanners.

(Active) GPS-reporting cell phones are bad enough, but the universal excuse is "must have been in a bad coverage spot." Same excuse could be used for RFID or any other sort of tracker. Electromagnetic signals are unreliable, particularly with low-power cell phones and no-power RFID chips.

"Gee, Mom, I'm sorry I went off-grid for a few hours last night, but you see, I ate some chips, and I wasn't near a garbage can. Being a good citizen, I put the empty aluminum bag in my pocket, and when I dropped my phone in my pocket, it just ended up in the bag."
 
Parent's have taken care of their kids for thousands of years with out RFID, and they can do it now. If they cannot, then it's a problem with today's parents.
 
The government-run schools, on the other hand, have only about 150 years experience taking care of kids.
 
I'm sure as soon as cell phones are linked into a wireless internet grid, are capable of transmitting sound to a "monitoring" number even when the phone's not in use, and have 24-hour battery life, parents will go past mere tracking and will start listening in on their children's activities.
 
It's called "Dumbing Down the Masses from the Bottom Up"
Click to expand...
anytime a discussion such as this comes up, i like to use the example of social security. social security was passed because the people at the time (quite fearful of govmt tracking #) were assured that it would be a purley VOLUNTARY system. we all know how that has ended up.
Well, at least they're not implanting them.
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not yet, at least.
 
I would agree that RFID's for children are a good idea for consideration....for parental consideration, that is. The State has zero right to mandate.
Click to expand...

While I agree 100%,,,the State of Ohio sees it differently. In Ohio, the State claims a 50% vested interest in minors. The parents (or other legal guardians,, as the situation dictates) {sometimes} split the other 50%.
 
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