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| Subject: This would bring us to Singapore-style tracking of each individual person. | |
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Author: Smartcards for NYC transit10 Jun 1998 |
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Date Posted: 19:37:05 01/12/03 Sun Re: Smartcards for NYC transit being considered ------------------------------------------------------------ To: guy@panix.com Subject: Re: Smartcards for NYC transit being considered From: Harish Pillay Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 22:56:18 +0800 (SGT) Cc: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net In-Reply-To: <199806101148.HAA25441@panix2.panix.com> from "Information Security" at Jun 10, 98 07:48:03 am Reply-To: harish.pillay@brokat.com Sender: owner-cypherpunks@Algebra.COM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Information Security was overheard saying ... > > # Jun 10th 1998, NBC-TV & NY1-TV, full story in The Post > # > # New York City is now considering scrapping the MetroCard > # in favor of issuing "smartcards" (transponders) for riders. > # > # Reason: so card can be read without current swiping problems. > # The card would be "detected in your pocket". > > This would bring us to Singapore-style tracking of each individual person. Accepting the fact that the comment above is by a reality-challenged person, I will have to state, for the sake of my sanity and all people who would like to know the honest truth, Singapore as a country does not track anyone. I cannot see how Mr Reality-Challenged can ever think that Singapore does that. Mr Reality-Challenged reads too much into Gibson's "Disneyland with a Death Penalty". Enuf said. > It would perfectly complement this: > > : "Above the Law", by David Burnham, ISBN 0-684-80699-1, 1996 > : > : In New York City, the FBI spent millions of dollars to install a permanent > : "fully-functional real-time physical tracking network." > : > : It should come as no surprise that the FBI did not announce this addition > : to its investigative bag of tricks: a citywide network of hidden sensing > : devices that pick up signals from a moving vehicle and immediately project > : the precise location on a large illuminated map located in the FBI's New > : York command post. > : > : When the FBI's technology head was asked how the new tracking system was > : working, he looked surprised, and didn't answer the question. "How did you > : know about that?" he asked. > : > : The FBI denied a request for a tour of its Manhatten command post, where > : the output from its instantaneous tracking system is displayed for the > : brass. > : > : In 1993, however, the FBI allowed a reporter who was working on what the > : bureau expected would be a friendly article to visit the inner sanctum. > : > : The command center, she later wrote, "looks not unlike the Starship > : Enterprise, of 'Star Trek.' On the rear wall of the room are three giant > : screens on which neighborhood maps, live field surveillance, and graphs > : charting the progress of a manhunt can be projected. > : > : Law enforcement officials, at stations in three semicircular tiers of > : desks, can watch---and direct---as criminals are caught in the act. > : > : Their computer mouse screen pointers are a gun icon. > > What do smartcard transit cards mean? Many, many things. > > If a crime occurs somewhere, the police will be able to call in all > people in the area who used transit at the time, for questioning. > > And, of course, full tracking of your movements, from bus/subway > to toll bridges (EZ-PASS transponders). > > ---guy -- Harish Pillay h.pillay@ieee.org Singapore *** Ask me about Linux *** http://home.pacific.net.sg/~harish [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |