News

Letter to editor: Bloodhound tech

posted on 14 April 2003


I am interested that you cite up and coming technology as being the end to privacy due to movement tracking. I'm sure you would be surprised at how much you are already tracked.

New travel passes being brought into central London as we speak allow smart two-way communications that identify you. After being tracked on my way into work I have to use a swipe card not only for door entry, but even to purchase my lunch so not only do they know where and when I went but what I had to eat while there.

Digital Satellite and Cable boxes send data back to the provider giving info on what and when you watch TV, so they even have a good idea of what you are doing at home.

Even if you walk over to Tesco for some shopping, the so called 'Loyalty' cards track your shopping habits from goods to store.

So, the point is even without any hi-tech wireless tracking of phones and Wi-Fi equipment most people voluntarily (knowingly or not) give up their privacy in many different ways each and every day. The general public either don't care, don't know or are too stupid for either, we have only some George Orwellian 1984 future to look forward to. The 9/11 disaster has provided the fear mongering food needed to push privacy into the pits of long forgotten memory.

Do we really have anything to fear from all this though? Certainly if we are doing something wrong, and certainly not if we know what it is and how to avoid it. Personally id love to confuse them all by cutting the RFID tag from some razor blades and swapping it with a Benneton sweater before returning it ...

Just remember, whatever a man can do, another can un-do the future will be nothing if not interesting.