SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
From The Guardian:
Britain's biggest employer organisation and main trade union body have sounded the alarm over the prospect of British companies implanting staff with microchips to improve security.
UK firm BioTeq, which offers the implants to businesses and individuals, has already fitted 150 implants in the UK.
The tiny chips, implanted in the flesh between the thumb and forefinger, are similar to those for pets. They enable people to open their front door, access their office or start their car with a wave of their hand, and can also store medical data.
[...] Steven Northam, the founder and owner of Hampshire-based BioTeq, told the Guardian that most of its 150 implants have been for individuals, while some financial and engineering firms have also had the chips implanted in their staff.
BioTeq has also implanted them in employees of a bank testing the technology, and has shipped them to Spain, France, Germany, Japan and China.
We recently covered similar technology being used in Sweden but the idea of implanting a tracking chip in a human for identification is nothing new.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 13 2018, @12:21PM (5 children)
Well, for what it's worth, i do have everything disabled in my phone. I only have GPS on when i need it, i have disabled all and every "service" and stuff that i don't want. Obviously it does not prevent everything still, but for now it is that way. I'm always looking for more ways to disable all extra crap.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 13 2018, @12:36PM
You need an explicit "chip enable" on modem chip too, or better, a hardware killswitch for it. I have never seen such thing in commercial cellphone.
That's why I better stick to two devices - one is PDA, second is a beacon.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 13 2018, @12:45PM
We already knew all that, mate.
Thanks,
Your Government
(Score: 4, Insightful) by RS3 on Tuesday November 13 2018, @04:39PM (2 children)
> i do have everything disabled in my phone.
Very compliant of you; that's what they want you to think. Years ago when I learned about how computer viruses can hide themselves inside of otherwise necessary running processes, I figured any kind of spying process can do that- either after the fact, or baked-in.
Also, I wouldn't be surprised if most phones have "management engines" or some other potentially nefarious activity physically outside of the main CPU.
If you monitored the phone's RF activity, fully decoded all transmitted data, and can prove it's not some encoded personal data, I might begin to believe it.
But the basic RF and control circuits have a cell RF transponder (tower pings) that track you in the cell network anyway.
Powering the phone off is the only way I know to stop the tracking. That and not driving a car which has a cell network module. Or finding that thing and disabling it somehow. Some of them use obvious antenna connectors and cables. Some are simple PC board etched antennas that would be difficult to find up under a dashboard and by now are likely integrated into a necessary controller module.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 13 2018, @09:47PM (1 child)
When is off truly off? (clue: lack of blinkenlights is not a good indicator), removing the battery is the only sure way, but that's not an option for a lot of people.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Wednesday November 14 2018, @07:30AM
Absolutely agree. My main phone is an early smartphone (Samsung) that has an easily opened back and removable battery. I also sometimes carry an Android with no SIM, to use as a computer, camera, etc. Its battery is not removable, but since I had it apart to replace the digitizer, I noticed it would be easy to splice a power switch into the battery wires.