Flying cars, pill-sized meals, moon colonies, ergonomic, yet-oh-so-revealing
space suits; for some of us, these popular predictions for a futuristic 21st
century have yet to come to fruition. But some sci-fi fantasies can be made
real, as advocates for tracking chip technology have recently demonstrated. The
United Kingdom prison system is moving towards an under-the-skin monitoring
system for its inmates, and this same technology may be coming to an epidermis
near you.
The UK Ministry of Justice is planning a widespread adoption
of implanted tracking chips for prison inmates, parolees, and sex offenders. It's rumored the paparazzi has called for
implanting British royals as well to make their jobs easier. Each chip
emits an individual Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) code that allows
officials to keep tabs on the tagged individual's location. The chip, which is about
the size of two grains of rice and encapsulated in glass, would be implanted
within the musculature of the subject's right triceps muscle (lefties catch a
break here). According to VeriChip
Corp., the chip's Florida-based manufacturer, those implanted with the RFID tag
would not be able to feel the device under their skin, nor would they be
subject to any health hazards (except the
nagging feeling someone may be watching them).
Over the past decade, the British inmate population has
grown by 33% to 80,000, giving the UK the highest per capita incarceration rate
in Western Europe, although it's tiny compared to the US population of 2.2
million prisoners (British drug users all
moved to Holland). The strain on
Britain's prison system is forcing policy makers to provide quick solutions to
ease the burden, and the RFID chips seem to be the panacea (since Australia is now occupied).
The British Parliament is considering a more lenient
sentencing policy that keeps low-grade offenders out of prison. In lieu of
incarceration, these offenders would be implanted with an RFID chip, ensuring
that their curfew, probation, and/or geographical restriction could be
monitored (like Michael Jackson at Disney
World). Potentially, greater numbers
of prisoners could be placed on parole, freeing up more space in the UK's
crowded jails. This would be particularly valuable for tracking the locations
of sex offenders to ensure they stay away from schools, playgrounds, and other
forbidden areas.
The system would also be used on incarcerated felons,
helping to establish order within the prisons themselves (and keep track of who's dating for
the next British reality TV show). A comprehensive tracking database would
help to keep prisoners organized, while also ensuring speedy recapture in the
event of an escape attempt.
Though the implementation of these subdermal tracking chips
is certainly radical, it is not without precedent. For years, the RFID system
has been utilized in ankle bracelets for prisoners and paroles in many
countries, including the U.S. Select
rest homes and mental hospitals, where patients are susceptible to wandering,
also employ the technology. (It does wonders for paranoid schizophrenics.) Medical information can be easily coordinated
with the RFID code, ensuring quick and accurate hospital treatment (think Wal-Mart checkout counters). And,
most astoundingly, many infants, including more than half of all Ohio newborns,
are given RFID wristbands to protect against abduction.
Opponents of the tracking chips claim its use as hazardous
to the subject's privacy and individualism. Shami Chakrabarti, director of
Liberty, a UK civil rights group, stated "[to degrade] offenders in this way
will do nothing for their rehabilitation and nothing for our safety."
Though felons give up many of their civil liberties when
entering the prison system, the physical intrusion into their body is seen by
many as unacceptable (unless it produces
a child). The chips may also carry health dangers. One study found that
animals implanted with the tag were more susceptible to malignant tumors,
though a similar trend among humans is as-yet unproven. (Device manufactures attributed the tumors to the rats' poor diet, lack
of exercise, and alcohol consumption.)
Most dangerous of all, however, is the precedent that use of
RFID tracking would set, not for prisoners, but for the general population. As
the technology matures, one might expect its features to appeal increasingly to
the average consumer. (Wives would start
tagging their husbands at night.) Imagine if such a chip could give you
access to your checking account, radio stations, and unlimited wireless access;
would you consider a trial implant? (Apple
calls it the InPod.) What if the RFID could tabulate your spending and
earning for you, calculating your taxes without you having to lift a finger? (Didn't Ron Paul propose this?) On the
other hand, would you be prepared to submit a log of your activities so fully
to any institution, to evaluate and share as they might see fit? (Eharmony guarantees they'll match you with
the perfect shopping partner.)
The U.S. has the world's largest prisoner population at 2.2
million people. China, a country with
five times the number of inhabitants, holds the runner-up position with 1.5
million incarcerated (they killed the
rest). You can bet that VeriChip, which
only sold 7,000 RFID tracking devices to date, is drooling over the potential these
markets offer. The United Kingdom could
very well be a testing ground for global expansion. What remains to be seen is how effective the
chips are in regulating British prisoners, and how resilient the general population
is to the new technology. If proven
effective, one day in the not-so-distant future, Lou Dobbs will be pushing the
use of the device on those caught sneaking across the border.
Written By Django Gold
Editing & Commentary by Andrew B. Einhorn