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I'D RATHER GO NAKED!
NewsWithViews.com ^ | March 13, 2003 | Mary Starrett

Posted on 03/13/2003 10:46:10 AM PST by fight_truth_decay

Fashion designers from New York to Milan have filled the runways in recent weeks with all the latest Spring looks. Hemlines are up, heel heights are down and pink is all the rage. But regardless of what you think of this season's haute couture you should be made aware of a trend that's catching on... it could make you think twice before buying new clothes. Tiny specks capable of tracking virtually every single item are now being imbedded by manufacturers. This Orwellian technology, called RFID (radio frequency ID) will now be used by Italian clothing designer Benetton in the form of trackable chips woven into it's apparel. The chips, which function as itty bitty radio transmitters will be inserted when the clothes are made and will remain intact throughout the life of the garment. According to chip manufacturer Philips Electronics, the devices will be "imperceptible" to the wearer.

Sound like something out of a futuristic sci-fi thriller? Welcome to your brave, new world.

Benetton is not alone in implementing this frighteningly invasive technology. Gillette has already purchased 500 million of these tracking devices and starting in July will imbed them in shaving cream and razors sold at Wal Mart stores. The chipped items will sit atop "smart" shelves that will work in unison with the chipped products to tell Gillette and Wal Mart all kinds of things; and the info-gathering doesn't end there. As an extra added bonus ,when shoppers take their Big Brother -branded purchases home (and wherever RFID "readers" are located,) their purchase will be tracked. RFID Journal touts the technology as a way to eliminate bar codes, cut down on labor costs and theft and says it will be a boon to inventory control.

The founder and director of a group called C.A.S.P.I.A.N. (Consumers Against Privacy Invasion And Numbering) sees it differently. Katherine Albrecht, a Harvard University doctoral candidate says what Benetton, Gillette and over 90 of the world's biggest corporations are doing, in essence, is "registering" those products to you. Albrecht has been warning us about this for years. She says consumers have no idea that these RFID chips actually track the owner .. " then anytime you (go) near an RFID reader device the (product) would beam out your identity to anyone with access to a database - all without your permission".

Think this is waaaay out there? It's not. According to a 2001 INFORMATIONWEEK article on the RFID scheme, proponents are looking ahead to a seamless, network of millions of RFID receivers in airports, stores and even your home. And remember, you can't turn these things off.

Benetton, which had sales of over $2 billion last year apparently thinks spending the 25 cents to 50 cents per chip will be money well -spent. The company has ordered 15 million chips for starters. So along with your mock turtleneck you'll be getting an RFID gizmo which operates at 13.56 MHz, and stores 512 bits of information. RFID Journal says "unless there is a big public outcry, Benetton is not going to be the last retailer to adopt RFID".

Did you get that? IF NOBODY GETS UPSET ABOUT THIS IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN! Don't just SIT there, DO something...Be part of that "big public outcry" they doubt will happen 'cause you're either catatonic from too much TV, or you just plain don't care.

Know that the likes of Kimberly Clarke, Coca- Cola, Philip Morris, Target, the U.S. Department Of Defense and the United States Postal Service (just think of the implications of THAT!) are watching this Benetton thing very carefully. They're poised to begin their own chipping programs in the not-too-distant future.

Where is all this technology coming from? From the brilliant minds at MIT's Auto-ID Center. In just a few years the center has raked in tons of money from some heavy-duty global corporations who are raring to go on this. The effects of this RFID technology are truly chilling. Consumers wouldn't be able to escape the watchful eye of manufacturers, retailers and marketers. Law enforcement would have a field day with this as well. Individual's behavior could be monitored to the nth degree.

So what can YOU do about it?

Spread the word. Boycott Benetton.... (Gillette, too, while you're at it) and make sure they know you've stopped buying their products and WHY.

Get educated. Check out C.A.S.P.I.A.N.'s web site: at http://www.nocards.org/. It's a good place to start.

Call your local media (radio talk show hosts, newspaper editors, TV stations).

And think about going naked. Katherine Albrecht has. She says "I'd rather go naked than wear clothes with spy chips".

As for me, I have no problem wearing the old stuff I have hanging in my closet. I might not make any new fashion statements but I'll be making a statement that doesn't ever go out of style in a free society. My statement's summed very well in something called the 4th Amendment.

Related Articles: Benetton Clothing To Carry Tiny Tracking Transmitters AP

Mary Starrett was on television for 21 years as a news anchor, morning talk show host and medical reporter. For the last 5 years she hosted a radio program. Mary is a frequent guest on radio talk shows. E-Mail M123STAR@aol.com


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: 1984; albrecht; benetton; bigbrother; caspian; mdm; privacy; privacylist; techindex
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Such scenarios could lead to protests over "spy clothes" on privacy grounds, said Wayne Madsen of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

"There really needs to be legislation if companies are doing this," Madsen said. "They say it's for internal use. But what would prevent them from sharing it with third parties, with the government or criminal investigators?"

The ultra-short range of the RFID transmissions would make it difficult to scan the clothes without the wearer's knowledge, Karsten Ottenberg, senior vice president of Philips Semiconductors, based in Hamburg, Germany said.(Pulled from related articles above)

Pro-chip? Anti-Chip? Big Deal? No Big Deal?

1 posted on 03/13/2003 10:46:10 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
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To: fight_truth_decay
I'm making my tin-foil hat double thick. Then they'll NEVER track me.
2 posted on 03/13/2003 10:49:47 AM PST by johnb838 (ROLL not STROLL. Liberate Iraq. Bomb Saddam, Crap Chiraq)
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To: fight_truth_decay
The sky is falling the sky is falling.
3 posted on 03/13/2003 10:50:55 AM PST by Conspiracy Guy (RW&B)
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To: fight_truth_decay
I'm sure I see the difference between this and a bar code? I'm also not real clear on what useful information might be gathered? Sounds to me like these designers are coming up with this as a way to foil counterfeiters.

I'm not taking a stand good or bad just yet. Need more info.
4 posted on 03/13/2003 10:54:26 AM PST by Ramius
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To: Ramius
err... I'm *not* sure I see... [sigh]
5 posted on 03/13/2003 10:54:56 AM PST by Ramius
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To: fight_truth_decay
Sometime in the near future:

"Uhm honey, I have to work late tonight"

Later, from the spouse...

"Hey, I've got your clothes showing in a static position on my RFID screen in some stranger's apartment, what gives?

6 posted on 03/13/2003 10:56:23 AM PST by TADSLOS (Sua Sponte)
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To: *tech_index; *Privacy_list
http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list
7 posted on 03/13/2003 10:58:39 AM PST by Libertarianize the GOP (Ideas have consequences)
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To: fight_truth_decay
The chips, which function as itty bitty radio transmitters will be inserted when the clothes are made and will remain intact throughout the life of the garment

For a transmitter, no matter the size, that's a hell of a battery!

8 posted on 03/13/2003 10:59:24 AM PST by grobdriver
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To: fight_truth_decay
Stores 512 bits of info? Hardly worth the effort.
9 posted on 03/13/2003 10:59:29 AM PST by berserker
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To: Flurry
I can only imagine the outcry if FR had been around back in the days that bar-codes started appearing on everything. Massive conspiracy, that, right along with the little code numbers on the backs of road signs to guide UN troops.
10 posted on 03/13/2003 11:01:24 AM PST by Ramius
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To: fight_truth_decay
Seems to be nothing more than a small EMP generator couldn't wipe out.
11 posted on 03/13/2003 11:02:52 AM PST by Johnny Gage (We will not tire, We will not falter, We will not fail. - President George W. Bush)
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To: fight_truth_decay
Just make sure you microwave all new purchases for 30 seconds on high.
12 posted on 03/13/2003 11:04:30 AM PST by AdamSelene235 (Like all the jolly good fellows, I drink my whiskey clear.)
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To: johnb838; fight_truth_decay

I'm SO protected.

13 posted on 03/13/2003 11:04:47 AM PST by martin_fierro (FRUCK FANCE!)
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To: Howlin; Ed_NYC; MonroeDNA; widgysoft; Springman; Timesink; dubyaismypresident; Grani; coug97; ...
Uh.....right.

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

14 posted on 03/13/2003 11:05:37 AM PST by mhking (Fasten your seatbelts....We're goin' in!)
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To: berserker
512 bits is enough info to encode a unique number to identify you.
Worth alot of effort to those who want to know what you do so they can target marketing to you.
Or, alternatly, spy on you.
Literally.
15 posted on 03/13/2003 11:05:46 AM PST by Darksheare (Quickly flip the switch and watch the pretty colors, of the pyrotechnics of my heart exploding.)
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To: fight_truth_decay
network of millions of RFID receivers in airports, stores and even your home.

Ri-i-i-i-ight.
16 posted on 03/13/2003 11:06:20 AM PST by BJClinton (Praise God for Elizabeth's safe return.)
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To: fight_truth_decay
a group called C.A.S.P.I.A.N. (Consumers Against Privacy Invasion And Numbering)

Okay, where did the S in the acronym come from?
17 posted on 03/13/2003 11:07:31 AM PST by Xenalyte (I may not agree with your bumper sticker, but I'll defend to the death your right to stick it)
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To: grobdriver
I would doubt that there's any power to it at all. More likely just a little "reflector" that has a coded surface that bounces a certain signal back in a unique way, making it a number.

Sort of like the "electronic" key cards for office buildings. They are powered, they just bounce a signal back in a way that makes each card unique.
18 posted on 03/13/2003 11:08:30 AM PST by Ramius
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To: grobdriver
For a transmitter, no matter the size, that's a hell of a battery!

It uses microwave energy beamed down from orbital mind-control satellites contolled by the Illuminati.

Better replace the tin-foil hat with a Reynolds Wrap sombrero!!

19 posted on 03/13/2003 11:08:51 AM PST by Jonah Hex
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To: fight_truth_decay
This should shed more light on the matter:

http://www.aimglobal.org/technologies/rfid/what_is_rfid.htm

These are nothing new, and have been in use for ages in all kinds of products from cloths to PCs, they can't track you at home, if there is no reader in the home to read data off RFID tags and then submit that info to someone somewhere.

Furthermore the passive ones don't really transmit anything. the reader queries the tag and gets info from it, but on its own a tag can't send out anything.

Its just a more efficient way to track inventory in a store, seems more like someone wants to get some attention or points for a thesis :)
20 posted on 03/13/2003 11:09:30 AM PST by battousai
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