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Bar plans to be first to use "under-skin" tag payment

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26th Jan 2005
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A trendy Glasgow bar may be the first UK business to introduce "sub-derma" microchip technology to its payment system. Willing customers would agree to a rice grain-sized chip being inserted under their skin. A wave of a hand would execute and record a payment transaction, and the need for cash or credit cards would be obviated.

A spokesman for Bar Soba told AccountingWEB press reports that the system was already in operation were "very premature," but that it was being seriously considered by the bar's owner, Brad Stevens. But for the present, he said, "the idea is very much at drawing board stage."

The Verichip, an under the skin tag that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in October 2004. But its introduction on this side of the Atlantic has received a negative response - including the creation of an organisation, "Notags", opposed to RFID technology and its potential infringement of privacy. .

Notags' founder Chris McDermott started the group when he perceived that technology widely perceived as harmless or even useful might be employed for more sinister purposes. Speaking to AccountingWEB he said, "I wanted to raise awareness of RFID when I saw, in 2003, that the technology would inevitably come to the United Kingdom. At the time, it looked like sci-fi, but I saw that it would quickly become a reality."

McDermott's main concern is that from "harmless" applications there is a slippery slope to malicious or controversial applications such as the tagging of offenders, children, the elderly, or immigrants. In May last year, McDermott was invited to address the House of Lords on the issue.

However, both he, and Bar Soba, may have a while to wait before under-the-skin implants take off. Surge IT, the company appointed to be the UK's first distributor of the VeriChip, is no longer trading.

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By The Minion
28th Jan 2005 12:58

thin end of the wedge
maybe it is far fetched, but would a three year old know that the person who had just called them by their name didn't actually know them, but had simply scanned the chip?

sound ridiculous?

ask the person who had the brainwave of designing alice bands with the child's name on it...

technology and laws should only be used or created for the reasons they started out. Witness the recent suggestion that terrorist suspects should be detained under the mental health act (because they don't agree with govt view??)

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By Abacjm
27th Jan 2005 02:54

Bar Soba or Bar Drunk?
I just cant wait until the first Ranges v Celtic match with all these waving arms. any chance of getting one of these rice grains inside a football and bouncing it off Martin O'Neill's head every so often as he stands onthe touch-line and nodding it right into the path of the Rangers forwards enabling them to score!
Now that would be real fan power!
As to its practicality ina usy Glasgow Bar, I can see the profits gong shooting up and punters waving goodbye to their loot for no drink whatsoever. Virtual drinkng to accompany virtual smoking!

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By tomtrainer
01st Feb 2005 13:13

Terrorism suspects
I know the media calls them "terrorist-suspects", but can we please use the more correct term "terrorism-suspects". In its inability to find any evidence to convict (or even charge) these people, it seems the government wants to label them as terrorists as soon as they are suspected of something (like disagreeing with government policy, to use your example David).

We don't talk about rapist-suspects (rape-suspects) or burglar-suspects (burglary-suspects) so we should at least offer the same innocent-until-proven-guilty treatment to those accused of terrorism.

I can certainly see why innocent people would want to remain anonymous.

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By AnonymousUser
27th Jan 2005 16:02

Technology doesn't have to be wrong
The initial use suggested in this article of such technology may seem a little extreme to most - and the connection to a Bar at this present climate (with the lastest reports of so called Binge Drinking) is probably not the most obvious or perhaps sensible choice for a Trial system....

however I'm intrigued by McDermott's comments that "from harmless applications there is a slippery slope to malicious or controversial applications such as the tagging of offenders and Children..."

Perhaps Mr McDermotts should consider two other examples of Malicious use as the possible protection of the elderly and children is hardly something anyone would be adversed too is it.

Tell me how many parents, who's children are missing, would not wish they had some sort of tracking item for their child, that meant the child could be found within minutes and returned safe and well....

After all this is where this kind of technology will find its niche and fit in our daily lives

Technologies here to stay - less embrace it and use it to our advantage and stop bleating on about infringement of privacy - we're all surveyed by an average of 19 cameras on a typical day, does this really matter if its to the majorities benefit.. (and I bet Mr McDermotts got a credit/debit card he uses and those systems have been tracking our use for years)

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