RFID Implants Won't Rescue the People Kidnapped in Mexico

Kidnappings in Mexico have worsened in the last 5 years, sky-rocketing by 371%. So too have the demand for those RFID implants that were said to allow authorities find the victims. Except for one thing: they don't work.

The main problem is that the technology, for a number of reasons, couldn't have worked in the first place. For one, the implants are much too small for a satellite to pick up. And that's without taking into account the barriers the implant's signal would have to overcome—that is, metal, concrete, and the water of the human body. For another, the implants can't be trusted to broadcast a signal without losing its teeny tiny charge.

And even if the police did manage to pick up the signal, there'd be no time to mount a raid to save you. All told, you're probably only about 1% less screwed.

That hasn't stopped RFID manufacturers from raking in the money in the last two years. Xega's still very much at it, even after admitting the technology is "bad for the country." UPI writes:

Xega charges people seeking the implant $2,000 up front, with annual fees of $2,000. For their money, implant customers get a radio frequency identification chip implanted into the fatty tissue of the arm.

Dickbaggery, thy name is RFID peddlers. [Washington Post via UPI]

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Diario de Nuevo Laredo