[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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