From Wired News (as pointed out by Schneier):
The British government is preparing to test new high-tech license plates containing microchips capable of transmitting unique vehicle identification numbers and other data to readers more than 300 feet away.
Officials in the United States say they’ll be closely watching the British trial as they contemplate initiating their own tests of the plates, which incorporate radio frequency identification, or RFID, tags to make vehicles electronically trackable.
“We definitely have an interest in testing an RFID-tagged license plate,” said Jerry Dike, chairman of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and director of the Vehicle Titles and Registration Division of the Texas Department of Transportation.
…
Proponents argue that making such RFID tags mandatory and ubiquitous is a logical move to counter the threat of terrorists using the roadways, and that it will scoop up insurance and registration scofflaws in the process.
This scheme fails my Jews in the Attic Test and must be vigorously opposed. Besides, terrorists will just destroy or otherwise neutralize the transmitter when they go on a mission. And if detection and sanctions are in place for destroyed devices they will just destroy the devices on vehicles at random in the shopping mall parking lot until the population at large is fed up with the harassment and the police effectively ignore destroyed devices. It’s costly, it can’t accomplish it’s intended goals, and it’s a hazard to freedom. Don’t even bother testing it.
OK; Carjacker takes car, kills owner. Now the “authorities” simply think it is the owner driving around whenever the RFID is read. How does that stop a terrorist? Some of the 9/11 hijackers had ligitimate driver’s licenses, and under an RFID requirement, they would have had equally legitimate RFID tags. Would that prevent them from doing their deeds somehow? That we might have some clues after the fact as to which alias the terririst was using when he got his fake RFID tag, is going to prevent the attack, how? We already knew who perpetrated 9/11 the very next day, which means we knew who they were ahead of time and did nothing. Who’s trying to cover who’s butts?
..and the problem is always; “We (the gubmint) dont have enough money and power, so its not our fault, just give us more money and power and things will get better, honest”.
Why do you oldthinkers unbellyfeel RFID tags? Maybe you should to spend some time with miniluv; then you’ll see this is doubleplusgood.
Winston,
Your translation software is failing you. I would simply like to know, in detail and with factual examples, how an RFID system, known to criminals and terrorists, could possibly prevent one attack. Furthermore, I’d like to have someone explain, in detail, precisely how a government intent on abusing such a system to the general detriment of Liberty, could be prevented from doing so. Please include historical references and examples to support your arguments.
OK, it was my Orwellian-to-English dictionary that was missing, as Joe pointed out to me. Nice post
Winston Smith was obvious (the main character in “1984” by George Orwell) and the “doubleplusgood” looked familar. But the other stuff wasn’t clear to me either until I started thinking about it and did a google search on a couple of the words.