I was browsing my RSS feeds, and I came across this clip on YouTube...
Usually, when an RSS feed article catches my interest, I mark it to appear in the sidebar of my blog page, so I can look over it later or share it with my friends. This one was particularly interesting because I had just played Shadowrun 4th Edition that night.
Now, there is some concern about RFID tags, and how they could be used to track pretty much anything about us. Though I’m sure if asked, the majority of people don’t mind letting others know what brand of milk they buy or what kind of dish soap they prefer, but there are some serious privacy issues when corporations and/or governments get that kind of information without asking for it. In fact, the main issue is collecting that information, using it to learn more about us, and in sharing that information with others, all without our consent.
Though a topic you might want to explore further, this wasn’t what got me to post it. If you’re familiar with Shadowrun 4th Edition, this sort of thinking is part-and-parcel of the setting. Corporations have taken over everything, and RFID tags, both public and private, are on everything, and anyone with readily available equipment can browse them. In the Shadowrun 4th Edition setting, the equipment to read and browse RFID information is as small and common as cell phones are today.
The geek out thing about this video is that this is what that sort of view might look like. Not just by security cameras or conspiracy ridden government agencies, but the average shopper; you and me. This is what a 2070 walk through a Seattle shopping mall with your PAN turned on might look :)