www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall BIG BROTHER COMES TO WAL-MART

By Mary Starrett

June 11, 2003

NewsWithViews.com

Starting this week, the nation's largest discount retailer will quietly begin selling tracking-chipped products to clueless shoppers. The first volley in their war against our privacy is set to start at their Brockton, Massachusetts store.

Wal-Mart will put Radio Frequency I.D. sensors on shelves stocked with RFID-tagged Gillette products, but they'd rather you didn't know about it, because, hey, you might not like it, and then you might make noise and then they'd have a big PR mess on their hands.

Read the whole article at this site

http://www.newswithviews.com/Mary/starrett14.htm

What does this paranoid nonsense have to do with the Byzantine Church? Aren't there conspiracy sites where this could be be posted along with siteings of black helicopters and the men in black? Moe

Yes it's frightening, but it pales in comparison to the proposed Patriot Act II, which, if and when it becomes law, will make 1984 a reality.

I apoplogize for offending anyone. I did not see it as a conspiracy theory, but as a new way of using technology that is somewhat silly. I should have clarified my thoughts. It interests me in the ways they can find to keep track of not just people, but things, and another way to dig deeper into our pockets.

Byzantines/Easterns are, apparently, suspicious folks by nature. (Gee, I wonder why?)

I believe that Americans have this inner sense of "privacy" as a constitutional right and a God-given gift. The question might well be who has the right to examine (and perhaps intervene?) in my relationship both with God and my fellow human beings.

Last Monday's Boston Globe (Jun2) had an article on pharmaceutical companies tracking physician prescriptions and having drug reps exert subtle pressure to switch to the rep's company medication when meeting with the physician. Our banks can track our spending through credit card use (thus, I don't use them)as well as through checks. My real concern is the subtle and undetected pressure that is exerted on me to either buy something or participate in something that violates my principles.

While I think that the black-helicopter-ites are being a bit over the edge, I do think that the manipulation aspects provided by technology can truly interfere with my exercise of free-will. And THIS scares me from a theological and socio-political perspective.

(If you're paranoid - as I can sometimes be - carry a refrigerator magnet in your briefcase and rub it over the suspect object. THEY hate that.)

Blessings!

Dear Rose,

Thanks for very appropriately posting the article here in "Town Hall." The model of Church is as a community.

Rose never intended it to be consumed as of importance as Byzantine News. Surely, she would have posted it in "Byzantine News."

Some of us get much of our "other-than-headline-news" on a site like this from concerned acquaintances. Thanks again Rose.

In Christ,
Andrew

I agree with Andrew that Rose had only the best intentions in posting this.

My problem with Wal Mart is their strong union-busting techniques and real exploitation of their workforce. That, to me, is the greatest concern as well as their tactics of moving into small communities ans squeezing "mom and pop" stores.

Now regarding the actual technical discussion:

I know that a federal law from the 1920s allows for anyone to receive any radio frequency transmission that is in the air.

A fellow that I worked with kept a copy of this law with him should he have been stopped by a policeman in the Commonwealth of Virginia for "illegally" using a radar detector in his speeding vehicle (we both served as drivers for a very busy Serbian Orthodox US Congresswoman). I don't know if this ever ended up in court, etc.

The other side involves emitting radio frequencies (RF). We should all know that we technically need an FCC (Federal Communications Commission) license in order to legally emitt RF in the USA. [I wonder if the Virginia State Police have one?]

My questions regarding Walmart's emitters would be: Is this a RF emitter?

Do they need a license for such? Do they have a license?

Could it be argued that it is an invasion of my privacy to track my movements or activities by such an emitter without some sort of prior notification or labelling on the product?

My suspicion is that this case will wind up in court soon, as it should. In the meantime, I'm looking for a strong magnet [thanks, Dr. John].

In Christ,
Andrew

Andrew,

As for RF emissions, I suspect that these little chiplets don't rise to the emission level of a Class A Computing Device. You need a permit to broadcast RF waves beyond a certain strength or distance. Otherwise we'd all need permits for our PCs and such.

Think of the new WiFi standard...and all the folks gleefully riding around with antennas made from Pringles cans, pointing out all the companies who didn't bother securing their wireless networks.

Just a minor quibble

Sharon

Dear Mother Sharon,

Shouldn't you be busy with that prayer rule. . .?

Alex

Dear Mother Sharon,

Perhaps I'm missing something, but I did read Starret's article. If the emission is of such such low power, how will Walmart's reader receive any feedback? I can't imagine it as burst signal. A burst will only reveal location at the time of the burst transmission.

[Alex, stay out of this. It's way above your head And get back to your prayer rule!]

In Christ,
Andrew

Actually, a burst device could also have a GPS link and thus record locations and transmit the record of where it has been since the previous burst, but this is rather sophisticated for a pack of chewing gum or a razor blade.

Any ideas?

Andrew

Andrew, dunno.

I'm not a real techno-weenie, I just married one, and I work with 'em. (I'm a human interface )

It's amazing what's being put into tiny packages these days - have you heard of "smart dust?" It's in development - basically it's "dust" that has the capacity to form a network - the major applications being military in the field - reporting back what's going on in a particular location. Stay tuned...

They're weaving computing power into CLOTH these days, fer goshsakes (expensive cloth, mind you).

I think we're at the beginning of another revolution in what is a computer, what is a network, what is a transmitter - and the size of all of these things keeps shrinking like a wool sweater washed in hot water. I'm not sure the regulatory bodies are positioned to respnd quickly enough or appropriately either.


What do you think?

Sharon

Dear Reader Andrew,

If you want to be given that prayer rule yourself, just speak up again !

It's not above my head - it's just that I wouldn't bother trying to led it in in the first place . . .

Alex