RFID Chips in School Uniforms Track Students

Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:16AM EDT

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How would you feel about this: Tracking chips in kids' school clothing so that school officials can know their whereabouts during the school day?

Oh, it's happening. Ten students in a secondary school in the United Kingdom are being tracked through RFID implants in their school uniforms in a pilot program. Information Week reports that the kids attend Hungerhill School for ages 11-16 in Edenthorpe, England. 

Add the RFID chips to increased video surveillance and fingerprinting of kids, and this is a heavily tracked generation—for safety's sake.

That extra peace of mind for adults comes with a heavy loss of privacy for kids. Do you agree with David Clouter, a parent and founder of the children's advocacy group Leave Them Kids Alone, who says taking all these precautions has the effect of treating kids like criminals? Or do you agree with the parents who have OKed the pilot program who do not find it egregiously intrusive?

One possible side effect: Uniform sales may pick up as kids try to procure extra non-RFID-tagged clothing. As security expert Bruce Schneier writes on his blog: "So now it's easy to cut class; just ask someone to carry your shirt around the building while you're elsewhere."

LINK: U.K. Kids Get RFID Chips in School Uniforms [Information Week]

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  • 6 Posted by lailatomorrow on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    I say track'um! What are the private services you mention?

  • 8 Posted by willwixiv on Tue Nov 6, 2007 1:04PM EST Report Abuse

    i thinks that crazy.... wow..i read something like this on http://www.x-vision.net I believe... correct me if i'm wrong.

  • 9 Posted by mj_duke on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just more Big Brother crap. They are trying to make it main stream so it doesn't shock you when everyone is tracked by RFID. Simple answer "NO!"

  • 11 Posted by kimjo1001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    Welcome to the beginning of the rapture...Get ready...

  • 12 Posted by otrr on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    The ACLU will have a field day with this one.... Imposing on Civil Liberities of individuals....

  • 14 Posted by sparrowhawk212 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    WINSTON SMITH! Report to the Ministry of Truth IMMEDIATELY!

  • 16 Posted by aortanca on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think this is horrible. Kids will only rebel against it. I wouldnt want to be tracked every min of everyday. I dont like being tracked by video while driving on the streets everyday, much less a chip in my shirt. That is overboard and an invasion of my personal space and life.

  • 18 Posted by thiscrazybeautifullife on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is exaggeration. If parents learned to talk and listen to kids they wouldn't need to track them with freakin chips. My mom has always been open and honest with me and I'm 19 now; to this day I call her everytime I go somewhere and let her know who I'm with. Honesty and Trust, not obssessive surveilance which will cause rebellions. HELLOOOOO DICTATORSHIP CAUSES PROBLEMS what do u think kids will consider this ?

  • 19 Posted by jillybn29 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is ridiculous. If kids aren't allowed to be free to any extent, whats to say they will learn from any mistakes if they aren't allowed to make them? Just imagine having that first day when there is no monitoring device, it would be like disneyland for kids. They'd go crazy. Kids have rights too.

  • 20 Posted by lady_desireah on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    What was that movie called again...Oh yeah, it was called Gatica.

  • 21 Posted by friendoffoamy06 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    i think it is stupid and any way just cut the cip out of of the Uniform

  • 22 Posted by chrlschrsty on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:25PM EDT Report Abuse

    Shades of George Orwell... What value is this to a free society?

  • 23 Posted by ek_lew on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    And what are they going to do when they decide to change shirts?

  • 25 Posted by dialexicmontage on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    and just yesterday i was saying the world reminds me more and more of 1984. thanks society. i think ill kill myself tomorrow.

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