California says employers can't require RFID implants

The debate over RFID implants continues to rage on several fronts, as California has just enacted a measure prohibiting employers from requiring employees to get tagged. The bill's sponsor, state senator Joe Simitian, says RFID is a "minor miracle," but called mandatory tagging "the ultimate invasion of privacy." California joins Wisconsin and North Dakota in prohibiting required RFID implantation, and we'd expect to see other states follow suit -- although embattled RFID vendor VeriChip says only 2,000 people have implants, the jury is still out on safety of the devices, and the idea of being required to get an implant is pretty distasteful -- exactly the sort of soundbite-friendly issue a politician can get behind.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 16th 2007 9:45AM]

Why not just put one in the device du jour and wait for them to line up for one?

It's all in the presentation.

[JAmerican @ Oct 16th 2007 9:45AM]

The fact that employers want this just shows that workers are just cattle to them. Not only do they work 24 hours/day with the advent of wireless email, they are also now being tracked via RFID. What a great system.

[Dave @ Oct 16th 2007 12:30PM]

What are you talking about? The whole thing was publicity stunt by the California legislature. No California company has ever required employees to get chipped. By saying "corporations all want this" you are attacking a strawman, or being manipulated. Think it through. Nobody wanted it, that's why the California legislature was able to make such a big stink.

[Philometalist @ Oct 16th 2007 9:55AM]

I agree with JAmerican 100%, lately corporate life seems to be taking a greater and greater hold over the average human person, systematically enslaving mankind one step at a time. I think we need to remember that as technology expands our capabilities further and further we should not only be responsible for pushing the envelope of productivity but also protecting the delicate balance/relationship between company time and personal time.

[BusterB @ Oct 16th 2007 12:31PM]

Wouldn't this law prove your point that the law is doing a good job of creating that balance? It's not like there was some stampede toward RFID implants.

[Philometalist @ Oct 16th 2007 12:55PM]

I was shedding light upon the slippery slope of attempting to impose RFID on workers in the first place, while echoing JAmerican's point of the obvious lack of consideration for personal time on the part of corporations, in reference to their workforce being perceived as "cattle".

As far as the actual judgement is concerned, which was definitely not the focus of my original statement, I am in agreement with it's outcome, but remain highly aware that such a judgement has only taken place in 3 of our states and that much decision making by many people is still yet to be made before we are rid of this ridiculous proposal.

[tastybytes @ Oct 16th 2007 10:06AM]

i thought my company forcing me to wear spiderman underoos was overstepping their bounds..

[Emre Aydinceren @ Oct 16th 2007 10:34AM]

Thanks for some common sense.

[Timerider @ Oct 16th 2007 10:54AM]

"Now hold out your hand so I can implant your career chip."

[Lemmiwinks @ Oct 16th 2007 5:22PM]

"ya gotta do what ya gotta do"

[Alex @ Oct 16th 2007 10:55AM]

Won't stop your company from putting an RFID in your security badge though will it?

[Jeff @ Oct 16th 2007 12:15PM]

Won't stop me from taking a drill and punching a hole through it, will it?

[Alex @ Oct 16th 2007 1:03PM]

Sure you could remove it, or you could just work for a different company. My point was that if companies really wanted to track you, they could give you a piece of company property and have no need to actually inform you of what it contains.

[IMHO @ Oct 16th 2007 11:08AM]

"[The Beast] also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name" Revelation 13:16-17

I'm just saying...

[Don @ Oct 16th 2007 11:24AM]

Please don't. Revelations is speaking about the emperor Nero, it isn't some insipid Nostradamus prophecy. There's no need to confuse what is a moral and technological issue with millenia-old hocus-pocus.

[Omari @ Oct 16th 2007 11:26AM]

...I'm just saying the very same thing.

[Shane @ Oct 16th 2007 12:15PM]

@ Don--

Please elaborate. Documentation of a connection between Nero and Revelations?

[Shane @ Oct 16th 2007 12:16PM]

I disagree...I work for a great employer who would NEVER treat me like cattle...

*ZZZZAP* (now get back to work and stop posting on blogs!)

[Wayne @ Oct 16th 2007 12:23PM]

Wow, I would have expected the 12 people who live in North Dakato to support RFID implants for the simple fact that they could locate one another in major snow storms.

[Z @ Oct 16th 2007 12:54PM]

This is just another reason that re-enforces why I never want to work for any corporate rat-race ever again. Because you know some state out there is going to approve it. And if not now, then later. And I suppose at some point, the notion of forty-hour or "fill-in-the-blank"-hour workweeks will eventually be long forgotten, as well, and you'll just be on-call 'round the clock. I know there are jobs like that now, but it may get to the point where most corporate jobs end up that way. Couple that potential with RFID... forget THAT.

I say, time to start up and own your own business, or at least consider it. Owning your own business demands longer hours at times, but it's yours, and at least you'd be doing something you want to do. Every company has some accountability to its customers, (or perhaps to investors, depending), but aside from that, it's different when the only person you have to answer to is yourself from day to day.

This seems infinitely preferable to a corporate environment. I became so disillusioned with everything corporate, years ago. The possibility of RFID, now or in the future, and its inherent pitfalls (which to me, outweigh anything else it could provide) just re-enforces that disillusion.

[TrackZero @ Oct 16th 2007 12:54PM]

Are there *any* employers even *suggesting* they'd like their employees to get RFID implants, much less requiring it for employment? Outside of RFID manufacturers, that is?

I must have missed that article.

Good thing our politicians are on top of these types of issues. Keeps us common folk from paying attention to all the *real* problems.

[Wwhat @ Oct 16th 2007 4:40PM]

Yes there are companies that have it voluntary, google the issue, that's what google is for.

[pigfister @ Oct 16th 2007 12:59PM]

Its coming thanks to usa world law:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBo4E77ZXo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIO-tCPSfHA

http://www.thedossier.ukonline.co.uk/

[Fake Pope @ Oct 16th 2007 2:24PM]

he man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.

[Garst @ Oct 16th 2007 3:00PM]

The law was unnecissary to pass. It's already illegal for anyone to demand that a RFID chip be implanted in someone under invasion of privacy and freedom of religion causes in the constitution. And I know I will not be willingly subjected to this because it does violate my religous beliefs.

[uberfu @ Oct 17th 2007 9:56AM]

whatever dude - sign me up for 3 or 4 RFID chips_

I'll get about 15 of them implanted throughout my body - then "hack" into them via Bluetooth and mess with all the coding_ The company or whoever wants to track the info will get a headache trying to figure out WTF is going on_

[Mile @ Oct 16th 2007 6:41PM]

Good job politicians! Finally, a huge pressing matter resolved and America is so much better for it!

Next up: Laws stating that employers can't force employees to get tats on their arms or their foreheads with employee ID numbers!

USA! USA! USA!

[Jamar0303 @ Oct 17th 2007 7:11AM]

That's the nice thing about Japanese RFID- if I want I don't have to rely on cards. I can download the necessary code to the RFID chip built into my phone, where I then have full control over it. I can keep it from transmitting or receiving without my PIN (no long-distance reading and theft) and I can remotely lock the chip if I lose my phone (by calling the phone from a pre-set number and immediately hanging up twice). Simple and secure- no more getting your contactless cards all mixed up(the phone automatically knows what kind of card the reader is expecting) and it's made to prevent theft (PIN and remote locking).

[Rudi Mueller @ Oct 17th 2007 9:18AM]

we use RFID in laboratory animals and occasionally have tumors arising from the implant site. Here is a scientific reference:
Experimental and Toxicological Pathology 58: page 255 (Elsevier Publication)