Wear radio chip or leave, school students

[Karlis]

Superintendent issues warning: 'There will be consequences' for not submitting

At the beginning of the school year students at John Jay High School and Anson Jones Middle School within the Northside Independent School District were told their old student ID badges were no longer valid. During registration they were required to obtain new badges containing a radio frequency identification tracker chip.

Students refusing the chips were reportedly threatened with suspension, fines, or being involuntary transferred. Unlike chips used by retailers to track inventory which activate when scanned by a reader, these chips contain batteries and actively broadcast a continuous signal.

Read more

[Stellar]

This will be an issue up until a couple years after the students are forced to have it... Then, it will become accepted just like security cameras are accepted.

[spud the mackem]

Is that not a breach of Human Rights,why should anyone be able to track you,unless you're a criminal.Tell them to stuff it.

[+and-then]

Superintendent issues warning: 'There will be consequences' for not submitting

At the beginning of the school year students at John Jay High School and Anson Jones Middle School within the Northside Independent School District were told their old student ID badges were no longer valid. During registration they were required to obtain new badges containing a radio frequency identification tracker chip.

Students refusing the chips were reportedly threatened with suspension, fines, or being involuntary transferred. Unlike chips used by retailers to track inventory which activate when scanned by a reader, these chips contain batteries and actively broadcast a continuous signal.

Read more

This kind of technology will become ubiquitous in time. Not enough people will complain or refuse. It's a loss for liberty.

[Idano]

Oh it's only in the badge, I thought they were chipping students by the headline...swoo

'There will be consequences' for not submitting....meh, heard it all my life

[Stellar]

Not that I'm advocating it, but what'd the difference between this and having complete surveillance through video cameras? Other than the fact that this is more efficient.

[libstaK]

Power corrupts here it seems. There are always those who feel they should have information and control of the movements of others "for the greater good". These types seem to feel a sense of entitlement to pry into the lives of those under their "control". The school's reasons are ridiculous, an old fashioned role call will tell anyone anywhere how many attend the school. Not to mention student records and grades fgs.

[+and-then]

Not that I'm advocating it, but what'd the difference between this and having complete surveillance through video cameras? Other than the fact that this is more efficient.

I think that's the point, though. Cams can only track locations and that, imperfectly. These "GPS" like devices can create data to be stored and analyzed about individual habits and movements and so on...it's like making Guinea Pigs out of students. My biggest reason not to like it though, is the slippery slope aspect. In 5 years will it be a quick "ouch" when they insist that an RFID chip be placed under the skin? The logic then would be - well you already have been tracked like this for years, what's the problem? See the point?

[libstaK]

Not that I'm advocating it, but what'd the difference between this and having complete surveillance through video cameras? Other than the fact that this is more efficient.

Cameras are really only useful to document problems - they are rarely useful for tracking individuals as they go about their law abiding business - unless someone with access is a stalker with alot of time on their hands. The ID cards can provide minute details of every individual by name every day. How long before the data starts to be used for more nefarious levels of control? and students find themselves asked why they spent 15 minutes in the yard talking to so and so etc? How long before substantive but definitively circumstantial evidences start playing a role in students marks? aka: being "known associates of (place "undesirables" name here)" - even while the student themselves have done nothing wrong?

[spud the mackem]

Ha ha , I would get one then chuck it onto a long distance lorry,and then say that my Uncle brought me to school in his rig,and it must of dropped off my jacket.So they give you another, well put it on the New York subway...going round and round.

[Stellar]

True, but all that, if they wanted to, could also be done with cameras and people to observe and document them, could it not?

[Ashotep]

I guess we can look at the bright side, they aren't putting it under their skin. That will be next.

[Karlis]

~~~ ...

... My biggest reason not to like it though, is the slippery slope aspect. In 5 years will it be a quick "ouch" when they insist that an RFID chip be placed under the skin? The logic then would be - well you already have been tracked like this for years, what's the problem? See the point?

If "wearing" a GPS chip is to be compulsory, why not an implant, injected just under the skin?

An example of a benefit would be, for example; a kidnapped child or adult location would be instantly available. Crime in general should diminish, if a suspect knew that they would be located immediately.

"Assuming" that the technology was not misused, would not the benefits outweigh the negatives?

[spud the mackem]

If "wearing" a GPS chip is to be compulsory, why not an implant, injected just under the skin?

An example of a benefit would be, for example; a kidnapped child or adult location would be instantly available. Crime in general should diminish, if a suspect knew that they would be located immediately.

"Assuming" that the technology was not misused, would not the benefits outweigh the negatives?

Big brother is not only watching you, he's under your skin, No Way .I wouldnt refuse but they would get sick of me misplacing it, like sticking it on the underside of a Police Car,then you're in Police custody.The next one in the girl friends handbag, for an overnight stay,the next one tied to a log floating down the river, and so on.

[libstaK]

If "wearing" a GPS chip is to be compulsory, why not an implant, injected just under the skin?

An example of a benefit would be, for example; a kidnapped child or adult location would be instantly available. Crime in general should diminish, if a suspect knew that they would be located immediately.

"Assuming" that the technology was not misused, would not the benefits outweigh the negatives?

In a perfect world where strangers with power could be trusted with personal information yes, the benefits outweight the negatives.

Very few lack the imagination to see how this could be abused by levels of power that are intrinsically susceptible to corruption and special interest groups, we just are not evolved enough to justify "rose tinted glass" views on the technology imo.

[Winter Summer]

"Assuming" that the technology was not misused, would not the benefits outweigh the negatives?

No.

The assumption that this technology will not be misused goes beyond fantasy.

Edited October 7, 2012 by Winter Summer

[+and-then]

No.

The assumption that this technology will not be misused goes beyond fantasy.

I agree completely. These days info techs use data sets to experiment with and to fine tune calculations and make predictions on everything. To imagine them passing up such an opportunity (short of it being illegal) is unimaginable to me.

[Karlis]

Not that I'm arguing against your views, Winter Summer, and then -- I hold exactly those same thoughts as you do,as far as reality is concerned. That said; you folks have not addressed my hypothetical question, which was:

"Assuming" that the technology was not misused, would not the benefits outweigh the negatives?

Edited October 7, 2012 by Karlis
Added the qualification, "hypothetical", to my post

[Bavarian Raven]

"Assuming" that the technology was not misused, would not the benefits outweigh the negatives?

No it would not. They do not need - nor do they have a right - to know what we are doing at every moment of every day.

[Winter Summer]

My answer would still be no.

Entrance and hall monitoring cams do the job just fine. They watch students and visitors. No perv would snatch a kid from school if it was known all schools use cams. That was your main proposed benefit, right?

On the other hand, chips follow one's every movement whether at school or not. Total privacy bust. It also indoctrinates kids early on that this complete invasion of privacy is okay ~ easy to accept more of same as it's introduced.

Besides, if in danger, most everyone has a cellphone and can call 911 with an index finger quickly. A chip can't do that.

[Euphorbia]

If "wearing" a GPS chip is to be compulsory, why not an implant, injected just under the skin?

An example of a benefit would be, for example; a kidnapped child or adult location would be instantly available. Crime in general should diminish, if a suspect knew that they would be located immediately.

"Assuming" that the technology was not misused, would not the benefits outweigh the negatives?

The problem with this is that kidnappers would just cut the thing out at the first chance they had, possibly with great injury, and of course no doctor would be seen.

I have a feeling that many people would cut them out themselves (myself included), and that there would be an underground market for removing these chips, just like back alley abortions.

This is an issue I would fight with all I had!

Edited October 7, 2012 by Euphorbia

[Taun]

Ha ha , I would get one then chuck it onto a long distance lorry,and then say that my Uncle brought me to school in his rig,and it must of dropped off my jacket.So they give you another, well put it on the New York subway...going round and round.

That or go ahead and wear it, but pass a very powerful magnet over it for about an hour... That should totally scramble the electronics and render it useless... They see you're still wearing it... but won't know it's useless until they try to track you... keep frying them and just shrug your shoulders when they ask you why it's not working...

I do think that parents should have the ability to CHOOSE to have a device similar to this for their children, that they control - in case the child gets lost or worse... BUT NOT A SCHOOL! Stick to teaching... or rather - GO BACK to teaching... You use to do that, I'm sure if you really try you could figure out how to do it again...

Edited October 7, 2012 by Taun

[F3SS]

This is completely wrong. Aren't there already enough issues with teachers and staff and students Facebook pages. There is nothing positive to be gained here. If a kid is to be tracked and monitored it should be a parents choice and under the parents control.

[booNyzarC]

The students should all get together after the cards are issued, mix them up and randomly pull them out for redistribution. Maybe drop them in taxis, buses, subway cars, etc... Pull the chip itself out, seal in a plastic bag, and flush down a toilet... Tie them to balloons and let them float away... throw them up on a roof at the school, or bury them in various places around the grounds like Easter Eggs...

Oh I dunno, something to mess with them.

[Drayno]

If anyone told me to wear something that would broadcast a signal at all times, I'd tell them to profanely stick their head up their butt.

What a loss for liberty, indeed.