Mexico’s Rich Embedding GPS-Assisted RFID Tags Under Their Skin In Case of Kidnapping

Mexico has a pretty serious kidnapping problem–so serious that there is now a market for a US$4,000 RFID implant procedure (plus a US$2,200 annual fee) that promises to help track victims down. The system uses an implanted capsule under the skin that talks to an external GPS transmitter that you’ll need to be kidnapped with in order to beam your location to the folks at Xega, who are selling the service. Anyone else see a gigantic hole in this setup?

Yeah, so long as you’re kidnapped while wearing your GPS transmitter fanny pack (and your attackers don’t mind you keeping it), you’ll be fine. I guess it might make sense if you’re going to be alone in a seedy neighbourhood late at night to go ahead and strap up, but still, at this price, it seems like Xega (who seem to be mysteriously without a website yes, here it is, thanks guys, it’s Friday) is just capitalising on people’s fears with a bogus safety net. And successfully, too–the company claims they’ve sold the service to over 2,000 people. [Reuters, Image: Amal Graafstra's OG RFID implants]