The New RFID chip technology for motorcycle events

A new technology that promoters say will change motorcycle events forever was introduced in Texas for the Lone Star Rally in Galveston, this past December.  In order for a bike to come onto the strand, a parking pass had to be purchased. Each numbered pass was embedded with an RFID chip.  RFID (radio frequency identification) is a technology that incorporates the use of electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling in the radio frequency (RF) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to uniquely identify an object, animal, or person. The link on the Lonestar website said this, “The Chip technology will allow us to pinpoint you and produce a DVD of the entire rally event with personalized footage of you and your bike on the Strand!”

This is how it worked - there were video cameras and chip contact points at different stations in the rally. When the bikers crossed the contact points, that were also time stamped, the cameras captured them through the RFID tag and videoed them.  If you wanted to order the DVD, you could go online as instructed on the tag, and enter your parking pass number.  Any video taken with that tag number could then be accessed, downloaded and then embedded into a DVD of the rally.

The South Texas Confederation of Clubs held its meeting during the Rally. When members were told that the parking passes which they purchased and volunteers had hung on their bikes were embedded with passive RFID chips, they proceeded to take the passes off their bikes and throw them in a bonfire. Others cut the chips from the passes but kept them on in order to still park at the event.

A search of websites with regard to RFID technology offered information about the capabilities to track people and their habits; government agencies and law enforcement officials could use the technology to violate the Fourth Amendment. The federal government has repeatedly expressed a desire to consolidate transaction information from commercial databases into a single, centralized database under its control. Once such transaction data includes unique EPC serial numbers linked to the identity of purchasers, RFID tags could be scanned at strategic locations and used to identify people that pass by as well as surreptitiously scan their belongings. Wal-Mart and Target Stores have been implicated in the past of using RFID tags to monitor by camera the kinds of people purchasing different cosmetics.

This technology is also being used for implanting in convicted felons to monitor their activity and there are plans for the very near future for everyone in the country as a ’security measure’ and linking to a centralized database and financial system.

To summarize the applications of RFID technology as it relates to you as a biker: it is capable of seeing what is in your saddlebags, identifying who you are associating with, eating, smoking, drinking and your whereabouts during a rally.  Information downloaded from videotaping could be sold to marketing firms or passed on to law enforcement, anti- gang taskforces, etc.

With all new technology, there are ethical issues that should be addressed involving the rights or infringement of rights of the public. Informing people that a surveillance chip that would be videotaping them was in their parking pass should have been protocol for the event. Without consideration of informed consent, rally promoters and the cities of venue can expect lawsuits waiting to happen. None of the people that we interviewed were aware of the chip or its capabilities in their parking pass.  A query of volunteers who were putting the passes on the bikes, also confirmed our suspicions that informed consent was not a priority.  The volunteers had not been instructed to tell anyone there was an RFID chip in their parking pass.

Because there are plans to bring RFID technology to other bike events such as Sturgis and Daytona Bike Week, we will continue to monitor this. A word to the wise, if you don’t want to be chipped, be cautious of any parking passes or other promotional items given to you at an event. There might be an RFID chip in it. And if your motorcycle club or association provides a service to rallies around the country, such as parking or handing out materials and promotional items, for the sake of the biker community, inquire if RFID technology is being used.

It is our hope that the promoters of the Lone Star Rally would not involve the rally in this invasion of privacy rights. If you would like to offer your opinion of RFID chip technology to the promoters of the Lone Star Rally, please exercise your right to do so by email :  rl@lonestarrally.com  and the DVD company - wgpsinc@yahoo.com

If you would like the report with footnoted links that was presented to the NCOM board on the chip, you may request one by email and we will send it to you.

Link

http://www.aimncom.com/cu/cu_news.htm

Its only a matter of time...IF we let it happen.

on the other hand, this friggin early in the morning, my half asleep brain thinks it would stop a lot of the trailer haulin, wanna get laid, affraid their wives/ bosses would see the footage yups from attending the events.

Get used to it, the gov't is only here to help you.....yeah right...

I give you a section of The Declaration of Independence



That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness

U can get TagZappers and Scramblers 4 cheap all over the place. Parking tags shouldn't worry U. They're more likely 2 embed something on patchs U bought and handed out 2 all your friends.

Johnny_RoadKill wrote:

I DO Believe!!!

 

I have no idea as to what &nb sp; is all about.

Screamin_Chipmunks wrote: I give you a section of The Declaration of Independence That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness

I'll bring the tea!!! Preach on Brother and Sister Hippies!!!!

Obama Banks, Obama Motors,Obama Insurance, Obama Tobacco, and His Campaign promise  CHANGE!!!  It's coming

Styme wrote: Obama Banks, Obama Motors,Obama Insurance, Obama Tobacco, and His Campaign promise  CHANGE!!!  It's coming

Much as I'd love to blame this on BO it's not just the left, it's the right and the center too. The way the system is set up it keeps the people divided and fighting each other, Reps against the Dems, left against the right, Libs against the conservatives. This way we're not uniting and going after the gov't as one. We're being led around by the nose. Until we wake and up and quit fighting each other we're just lambs to the slaughter...

shaw_2112 wrote: Styme wrote: Obama Banks, Obama Motors,Obama Insurance, Obama Tobacco, and His Campaign promise  CHANGE!!!  It's coming Much as I'd love to blame this on BO it's not just the left, it's the right and the center too. The way the system is set up it keeps the people divided and fighting each other, Reps against the Dems, left against the right, Libs against the conservatives. This way we're not uniting and going after the gov't as one. We're being led around by the nose. Until we wake and up and quit fighting each other we're just lambs to the slaughter...

Exactly. Its not a party or one man anymore. Its our elected government as a whole.
Its up to Us to Unite and do something about it. Those bozo's are just running a circus.