Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) chips are available as U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, implantable devices for hands-free identification of such individuals as children, students, and prisoners. RFID has long been used to identify cattle and pets.
State Bans
In January 2008, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law SB362, joining Wisconsin and North Dakota in banning forced implantation of "unique identifiers" like RFID in children, students, prisoners, state employees, among others.
Public Advocacy
Anti-RFID advocates claim that major corporations, such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot, and governments with RFID-enabled passports "plan to track your every purchase and track your every move."
Voluntary Implantation
Voluntary implantation is fairly common. The Attorney General of Mexico and 18 members of his staff allowed the VeriChip device to be implanted in their arms for security access and faster access to medical records. A Barcelona, Spain, beach club piloted RFID implants for patrons, allowing them to buy alcohol and services without using cash.
Privacy
Contrary to popular belief, RFID chips contain no personal information; they contain single numbers, which are matched to a database where private information resides. Without the database, the number on the chip is meaningless.
Cancer
Implantable RFID is suspected of causing cancer, but proof is questionable. A September 2007 Associated Press story quoted a pathologist who claimed RFID induced malignant tumors; but more than15 million tags implanted in animals have yet to be linked to tumors.
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