[LINK] SMH on chip implantation
Roger Clarke
Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
Sat Jun 5 11:44:13 AEST 2010
[A couple of comments embedded]
The key to the future lies in this man's hands
CONRAD WALTERS
The Sydney Morning Herald
June 5, 2010
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/the-key-to-the-future-lies-in-this-mans-hands-20100604-xklu.html
Mr Chips ... Amal Graafstra has programmed the locks in his life,
such as those on his house, to recognise the radio frequency
identification chips implanted in the webbing of his hands. Photo:
Ben Rushton
A small microchip is blurring the line between humans and technology,
writes Conrad Walters.
WHEN Amal Graafstra wants to check email, he signs on to his computer
with a flick of the wrist. Inside the webbing between his thumb and
forefinger, a microchip the size of a grain of rice verifies his
identity through an electronic reader and unlocks the PC.
The IT expert can unlock his car or start his motorcycle the same
way. But the ''killer app'' comes into play when he returns from
work, perhaps with groceries in each hand. ''As soon as I stand by
the door, I can just nudge my hand against the reader panel, which is
right by the doorknob, and it unlocks,'' he says. No fumbling or
juggling, no aiming a key in the dark. He simply walks in.
Mr Graafstra is among a small number of hobbyists - estimated to be
fewer than 300 worldwide - who have radio frequency identification
(RFID) chips implanted in their bodies.
Mr Graafstra, who lives in the US state of Washington, is in
Australia to discuss his experience as part of a three-day conference
at the University of Wollongong next week exploring the relationship
between humans and technology.
RFID chips gained widespread acceptance in the 1990s when they were
first used to identify pets. But in 2005 Mr Graafstra applied the
technology to himself so he could stop carrying keys for work and
home. He underwent a five-minute procedure by a cosmetic surgeon to
become microchipped and then programmed the locks in his life to
recognise his chip.
He has been a lightning rod for how others respond to the idea of
microchipping humans.
Some see his action as ingenious; others see conspiracies and cite
the Book of Revelations. Early on, unsolicited publicity for his work
prompted an email that said: ''You are the devil's mouthpiece.''
But Mr Graafstra is no proselytiser for microchip implants. He
believes biometrics - iris scans, voice patterns, even the way people
walk - will prove superior for verifying identity.
[That's an interesting proposition, for at least the following reasons:
- biometrics are openly available phenomena
- they are readily captured by others
- they have high variability in how they present to measurement devices
- the data that results from them vary greatly
- hence matching algorithms can't be exact, but have to be fuzzy
- the degree of difference between people is limited
- hence, even under the best possible conditions, there will always be
both false-positives and false-negatives ]
What interests him is creating a dialogue on technology and its uses,
which is why he will be at the International Symposium on Technology
and Society.
The conference organiser, Katina Michael, an associate professor in
the school of information systems and technology at Wollongong,
predicts RFID technology - implanted or worn - will become part of
daily life.
In the US, VeriChip Corporation has approval from the Food and Drug
Administration to implant microchips in humans.
[Again that over-statement. That 'approval' is specifically medical
in nature, not moral or legal.]
Its chips hold a 16-digit number that can link with medical records
to identify an Alzheimer's patient who has become lost or warn that
an unconscious patient is allergic to penicillin.
Dr Michael acknowledges RFID chips bring benefits and admires Mr
Graafstra's ingenuity, but she points out that he alone decides how
his chip is used. She harbours concerns that microchips implanted by
corporations offer little control for other implantees, particularly
chips capable of storing greater amounts of information.
Unlike Mr Graafstra, she says, people who have been chipped may have
little say about what data is collected and how it is used. And
recently, concerns have emerged that a coating on microchips could
prove cancerous.
''The dangers definitely outweigh the benefits with regard to
commercialised applications,'' she says.
''When we're talking about opting in to an application such as an
implant from a commercial vendor, you've lost your freedom.''
--
Roger Clarke http://www.rogerclarke.com/
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au http://www.xamax.com.au/
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre Uni of NSW
Visiting Professor in Computer Science Australian National University
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