RFID Implants Won’t Work If You’ve Been Kidnapped In Mexico

Kidnappings in Mexico have worsened in the last five years, sky-rocketing by 371 per cent. 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 per cent 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 $US2,000 up front, with annual fees of $US2,000. 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]


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.