Potential RFID risks begin to emerge

Ars Technica earlier this month discussed a new report from the Associated Press which
discusses the potential risks involved with RFID devices, including those that have been approved for use in humans. The report mainly points out that animal studies with these types of RFID technologies have been linked to cancer in mice and rats. On an ethical note, the study points to Tommy Thompson who approved a number of these devices when he was in charge of Health and Human Services and later joined the board--and received a number of shares--of a company that produces RFID devices. In terms of the health hazards, this is of course only one survey and the authors are suggesting that that the devices foster cancer by causing inflammation of the tissues that encapsulate them. However, it should be noted that standard metallic ear tags can also do the same.

For more details on RFID:
- read the article in Ars Technica