SNOOPING ON MY FELLOW AMERICANS

We pay the CIA and the FBI to snoop on terrorists and criminals. But do they do a good job? Hell, no. After spending millions of dollars and wasting years since 9/ll, they can't even come up with efficient computer systems that effectively sort and analyze data. With the revolving door at the security agencies as disgruntled employees leave for high-paying private sector jobs, the CIA needs more agents in the field and experts in Arabic and other Middle East languages. As for coordinating the efforts of the two agencies, forget it. If one stumbles on a cell in the U.S., it doesn't tell the other. They both act as slow-moving, independent fiefdoms.

But when it comes to snooping on the American public, our technology is fast, cheap and superior--and getting better all the time. Coming soon is a chip that will follow your every move. Sewn into your clothes, embedded in consumer products such as food packaging and tires, and enshrined in your credit card and passport, miniature radio tags can track your life. Any hacker with intent to steal your identity will be able to read off information the tags emit by passing nearby.

The industry which developed Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)tags is pushing hard to avoid any government regulation. It's the same old argument that (any) industry always gives: "Trust us. We don't need regulation. We'll monitor ourselves." Sure, that and $2 will get you on the subway. With the lobbyists on the case, what chance do average consumers have to protect their privacy? Zero to none?

The Bush administration seems to have informally endorsed the tags. The Federal Trade Commission says it won't issue regulatory guidelines, but allow the RFID industry to protect consumer privacy. Coincidentally, some former administration heavy-hitters, including ex Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and ex Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson, have joined boards of companies that produce the tags.

There's no question that American know-how can build a superior product when it tries. RFID tags are dropping in price from $1 each to 5 cents and headed towards less than one cent. These dirt-cheap tags will put your medical records, driving infractions, personal tastes into the public domain. Is this the America we want?

It remains a mystery why industry and government don't devote the same energy and technological genius into building a better spy system to catch the bad guys. They should start with the internet, sabotaging the main lines of communications the Islamic fanatics use to send their nefarious messages.