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| Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) |
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On April 12th, 2005, Tom Ridge, the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, told the manufacturers and users of radio-frequency identification technologies that their work will protect Americans from various threats. |
| Ridge, who left his job as Department of Homeland Security chief, ushered the department through several RFID pilot programs, including programs that use tags to secure shipping containers from tampering, and those that use both RFID and biometrics to track workers entering secure airport facilities. Ridge recently joined the board of Savi Technology, an RFID contractor for the DHS. |
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FDA Letter Raises Questions about VeriChip Safety, Data Security... |
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Electrical hazards, MRI
incompatibility, adverse tissue reaction, and migration of
the implanted transponder are just a few of the potential
risks associated with the Verichip ID implant device,
according to an October 12, 2004 letter issued by the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA).
CASPIAN
(Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and
Numbering) has obtained a copy of the letter and posted it
on the group's website at SpyChips.Com. |
| Digital Angel Exiting Applied Digital? Did Company Fail To Publicize VeriChip Risks? |
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According to a filing with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, "on October 14,
2004, Digital Angel Corporation sold 1,069,650 shares of
Applied Digital common stock held by Digital Angel
Corporation. The shares of Applied Digital common stock
were previously registered with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and were sold at prevailing market
prices through a registered broker dealer for net cash
proceeds of $4.0 million. Digital Angel Corporation
acquired the stock from Applied Digital in March
2004."
WorldNetDaily.com, meanwhile hints at a possible reason. "Though Applied Digital, the company that markets the human-implantable VeriChip device, has trumpeted recent Food and Drug Administration approval of the technology, it failed to include in its announcement warnings by the agency about the downsides of having a transponder lodged under the skin. "According to a letter issued by the FDA Oct. 12, the ID chip, which is touted as an immediate way to obtain medical history about the wearer, has several possible negative effects. |
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"The potential risks to health
associated with the device are: adverse tissue reaction,
migration of implanted transponder, . failure of implanted
transponder, . electromagnetic interference, electrical
hazards, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) incompatibility
and needle stick," said the letter, which was
obtained by Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion
and Numbering, or CASPIAN.
WorldNetDaily quoted Katherine Albrecht, founder and director of CASPIAN, chastised Applied Digital and manufacturer Digital Angel for failing to mention the negative aspects of its technology: "By omitting this information from their press material, the companies marketing the VeriChip have painted an inaccurately rosy picture of their product that could mislead consumers into believing the devices are completely safe." |
| Sources: |
| The Spychips website is a project of CASPIAN, Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering. |
| http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,67192,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2 |
| http://www.investors.com/breakingnews.asp?journalid=23613941&brk=1 |
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