ID chips vs. privacy: Is the debate dying?

Not long ago, the mere discussion of identification chips was likely to unleash a tirade from critics raising Orwellian scenarios of the darkest kind. Those fears still run high in some circles, but the objections seem to have been muted by an onslaught of market developments just in the last few weeks that are bringing the technology to everything from to elderly patients.

With the prodding of federal agencies (the Pentagon), industrial titans (Wal-Mart) and what seems like the entire technology sector, so-called RFID technology has even inspired college courses devoted to the subject. Like surveillance cameras, radio-frequency identification may already be one of those technologies whose business demand simply outpaces constitutional issues.

Blog community response:

"Ordinary people are fully capable of understanding RFID. The premise of experts (a premise that serves the expert class quite well) is that people can't figure this stuff out so they have to be protected from it by law and regulation, after thousands of hearings, meetings, forums, and conferences. Repeat: balderdash."
--The Technology Liberation Front

"The 'Internet of Things' will bring about myriads of positive developments (cheaper HIV treatments, 'smart' door knobs) as well as more controversial ones like heighten surveillance by governments and corporations. It's not unlikely that in the world of the Internet of Things, people will relinquish some of their privacy rights in exchange for money/benefits from entities interested in their choices as consumers."
--CMS.610: Understanding Creative Industries

"A couple of countries (including Germany) want a biometric RFID tagged passport, which is a clear threat to both privacy and personal safety. What is the benefit of collecting even more private data? Will this solve our problems? Sure :) I think the terror guys already won! Our 'free' life is more and more controlled and regulated."
--markus.brosch.net

"What is really being said is the same thing that has always been a theme in the IT world when it comes to exploitation of advance tools. Obviously, more progress can be made in a controlled scientific environment. But the argument is if something can do some good give it to the people or the masses as the case may be."
--Pulp IT