RFID implants linked to animal tumors

from Boing Boing by Cory Doctorow

VeriChip — and other vendors — have been busily implanting radio-frequency ID (RFID) chips in human and animal subjects ever since the FDA approved the process. But a series of studies conducted from 1996-2006 noted a high incidence of dangerous tumors arising at the sites of RFID implants — something the FDA apparently did not consider when it approved the procedure.

Cancer or no, I wouldn’t go near an RFID implant. These things don’t have off-switches. They don’t have disclosure policies. They don’t have logs, or even notifiers. That means that you can’t stop people from interrogating your RFID, you can’t choose who gets to interrogate your RFID, you can’t see who has polled your RFID — and you can’t even know when your RFID is being read. You wouldn’t carry normal ID that behaves this way, but from London’s Oyster Card to the DOT’s FastPasses to the new US passports, these things are being stuck to our person in ever-greater numbers.

And while manufacturers claim that these things have inherent security because they can only be read from a few centimetres away, hackers have already ready them at more than 10m distance.

Leading cancer specialists reviewed the research for The Associated Press and, while cautioning that animal test results do not necessarily apply to humans, said the findings troubled them. Some said they would not allow family members to receive implants, and all urged further research before the glass-encased transponders are widely implanted in people.

To date, about 2,000 of the so-called radio frequency identification, or RFID, devices have been implanted in humans worldwide, according to VeriChip Corp. The company, which sees a target market of 45 million Americans for its medical monitoring chips, insists the devices are safe, as does its parent company, Applied Digital Solutions, of Delray Beach, Fla.

Link See also:
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HOWTO disable your new, RFID-laden US passport
CA bill would ban forced subdermal RFID-tagging of humans
HOWTO make an RFID virus
Report: “contactless” credit cards with RFID are easily hacked
DIY self-RFID-chipping HOWTO, Wed. Jan 4 at Dorkbot in NYC
HOWTO build an RFID skimmer
Hello Kitty anti-RFID skimming sleeves
Personal firewall for the RFIDs you carry
Interview with RFID implantee
Former Bush official signs up for RFID implant
How RFID hackers can steal gas, cars, and office access
HOWTO turn a disposable camera into an RFID-killer
UK RFID passports cracked
US Passports to get RFID chip implants in 2006
US starts issuing RFID passports, despite security concerns
Audio from Bruce Sterling’s “Arphid nor RFID” rant
Why RFID-chipped US passports are a bad idea
Why new US passports can be read without permission
US govt admits RFID passports are danger to Americans

Conspiracy!: RFID Chips May Cause Tumors

from Gizmodo by Mark Wilson

We guess some technology is just too bad to be true. Because despite being approved by the FDA back in 2005, RFID chips were shown to cause animal tumors—in a number of studies—back in the mid 90s. So are the studies bunk? Not necessarily, because the AP has consulted “leading cancer specialists” who feel the findings are a red flag. But the plot thickens…

In 2005, two weeks following the approval of VeriChip Corp’s RFID chips, FDA overseer Tommy Thompson left the FDA. And five months later he ended up on the board of VeriChip Corp. Coincidence? Honestly, we’re not sure.

While most of us fear the Big Brother aspects of RFID, the positive medical prospects are quite promising. You know, if they don’t cause gigantic tumors in the 2,000 people who currently have implants. [AP via engadget]