A group of concerned residents informed shoppers at TESCO in Cambridge today that they may be part of an experiment. When customers pick a pack of Gillette razor blades off the shelf, they will be tagged with an electronic device. Not only that. The hidden chip communicates with a camera system that stores your picture in a database!
The chip is the little black dot
The pilot project is run at Tesco in Cambridge
The TESCO supermarket is using RFID tags on certain items. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips are tiny electronic circuits which can be embedded in almost anything you can think of: packaging, clothing, electronics, vehicle parts etc. The device is triggered by a radio signal on a specific frequency. Each RFID tag has a unique identification number and will respond by transmitting that number. The tag’s unique number can then be looked up in a database to find out any information that the owner of the system cares to attach to it.
TESCO is experimenting in this store with RFID tags on GILLETTE packs. If this trial is successful a broader range of goods will be tagged. This system, apparently inoffensive, can easily intrude in your personal privacy. Tags can be buried in your clothes and consequently you would be transmitting without your knowledge personal information that can be retrieved by anyone who has the proper equipment.
“One potential problem with RFID tags is that they can still work long after the product has been bought. If the tags become as ubiquitous as the manufacturers would like, people could be bristling with the chips in clothes and possessions. Anyone from police to potential thieves could work out exactly what they carry.” (The Guardian July 13, 2003)
Do you want to help STOP this electronic dog collar in its infancy? If we act now, we can keep this electronic tagging from spreading to other products and shops. It’s easy:
• Raise your concern about the RFID at the store management or write a letter to TESCO (www.tesco.com/customerservices/)
• Don’t shop at TESCO and tell them why you won’t shop there anymore (Freephone: 0800 505555 or email
customer.service@tesco.co.uk
• Don’t buy GILLETTE products and tell them about it (Tel: 0118 987 5222)
• If you must buy GILLETTE products, ask a shop assistant to remove the chip before you leave TESCO
• Ask local MP Anne Campbell to raise this issue in Parliament ( campbella@parliament.uk)
TESCO is experimenting in this store with RFID tags on GILLETTE packs. If this trial is successful a broader range of goods will be tagged. This system, apparently inoffensive, can easily intrude in your personal privacy. Tags can be buried in your clothes and consequently you would be transmitting without your knowledge personal information that can be retrieved by anyone who has the proper equipment.
“One potential problem with RFID tags is that they can still work long after the product has been bought. If the tags become as ubiquitous as the manufacturers would like, people could be bristling with the chips in clothes and possessions. Anyone from police to potential thieves could work out exactly what they carry.” (The Guardian July 13, 2003)
Do you want to help STOP this electronic dog collar in its infancy? If we act now, we can keep this electronic tagging from spreading to other products and shops. It’s easy:
• Raise your concern about the RFID at the store management or write a letter to TESCO (www.tesco.com/customerservices/)
• Don’t shop at TESCO and tell them why you won’t shop there anymore (Freephone: 0800 505555 or email
customer.service@tesco.co.uk • Don’t buy GILLETTE products and tell them about it (Tel: 0118 987 5222)
• If you must buy GILLETTE products, ask a shop assistant to remove the chip before you leave TESCO
• Ask local MP Anne Campbell to raise this issue in Parliament (
campbella@parliament.uk) 
Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
Don't buy Gillette anyway!
09.08.2003 23:34
(Note that some of the links are quite old)
And more about the RFID issue regarding Gillette:
Thomas J
I ate a poisoned Twix bar bought from Tesco
22.09.2004 03:20
> as he felt his life slipping away from him he saw the helpless innocent
> children dying due to this most deadly chocolate. The sad saga escalates as
> Tesco is slow to withdraw the terrible Twix from the shelves of death and
> the guilty party starts using threats and coercion.
>
> The incredible incident began brewing on the evening of Friday May the 10th
> 2002 when I purchased my groceries at Tesco Rama 3, this was my regular
> shopping haunt as I had moved into a new condominium based partly on the
> fact that it was located conveniently close to Tesco.
>
> When I was at the checkout I noticed a chocolate display that had my all
> time favorite since childhood - a good ole Twix bar. Twix bars were often of
> poor quality in Bangkok most often probably due to heat exposure, in 7-11
> the chocolate often shows evidence of melting and re-solidifying subsequent
> to manufacture. The packaging on the Twix seemed fresh and shiny and I had
> already picked up a dozen cartons of soy milk and knew that they did indeed
> complement each other nicely for a midnight snack.
>
> As midnight approached it was time for my snack and I got my Vitamilk and
> Twix from the fridge and reclined in my armchair to enjoy my supper. I took
> a bite of the Twix and started chewing, seconds later a pungent aromatic
> organic smell filled my nasal cavities and surprised me - something was
> obviously wrong. I ran to the bathroom to wash out my mouth and felt
> nauseous, fearing that I would pass out I returned to my seat to regain my
> senses. It was very puzzling indeed, as I thought frantically how on earth
> could they smell like benzene I started to feel my chest going tight and
> started to asphyxiate, I could breath in but not out. Even though something
> was seriously wrong with the Twix I was helpless, I could feel myself
> blacking out and thought that I was dying, as the light faded I said my
> prayers, I prayed for justice and prayed for mankind.
>
> Hours later I regained consciousness, I pinched myself to perform a reality
> check and felt a sigh of relief - I had survived. I could hardly believe
> what had happened, I smelt the Twix wrapper but there was nothing
> suspicious. I decided to taste a tiny bit of the Twix chocolate to discover
> whether or not it was at fault, after sampling a tiny piece in the bathroom
> and getting that tell tale smell again it was plainly clear that my
> chocolate had definitely been adulterated. I washed my mouth out thoroughly
> and as I was still feeling light-headed went to lie down.
>
> It was nighttime and there was not a lot that I could do until the store
> opened when I could warn them of the danger. I was shocked when I called
> Tesco and found that they could not do anything, as their manager was not
> there. I contacted Effem the distributor of the chocolate and they told me
> that they would send an officer to withdraw the suspect product. My stomach
> regularly started convulsions and heaving on an empty stomach was extremely
> painful, I could feel the gastric juices being pushed up my larynx and
> burning my throat, my neck had started to swell and felt hard.
>
> The following week my throat was still swollen, Tesco had come round with a
> basket of fruit to apologize but I was not in the mood for the fruit and so
> distributed it in dribs and drabs to various security guards in the condo
> where I live.
>
> Effem explained verbally over the phone and then by visiting me and finally
> in writing on headed paper signed by their Regional supply director that
> Tesco had used concentrated industrial warehouse floor cleaner to remove
> price stickers.
>
> Tesco subsequently wrote stating that they believed that this was the cause
> of the poisoning, they also arranged for me to meet their internal lawyer -
> Steve Purser. When I went to see Steve Purser he shook my hard extremely
> hard almost crushing it as he spoke in an intimidating voice. He expressed
> anger at me for making noise about the issue and explained that he felt that
> Tesco was a victim of an internal terrorist attack. I told him that I was
> the real victim and he took me to see the bottle of floor cleaner in the
> Tesco warehouse. The floor cleaner came in a big bottle and had a skull and
> crossbones Hazardous chemical warning clearly on the bottle. I opened the
> bottle and there was a hiss as vapors pressured through the loosened lid,
> the stench that came from the bottle was indeed the same smell as in the
> poisoned Twix bars being sold by Tesco.
>
> The instructions on the floor cleaner gave clear warnings, the floor cleaner
> was also supposed to be heavily diluted before use.
>
> Tesco tried to make me believe that a young innocent untrained boy from the
> rice fields was responsible for the poisoning incident. I asked the staff
> there if they received training as to how to safely deal with foodstuffs and
> they explained that they had not received any such training whatsoever. I
> was very saddened by this total lack of corporate responsibility and told
> Tesco that I would like to know how t
>
> I do not particularly like doctors and this can be easily understood by
> looking at three simple facts:
>
> 1) I have not had vaccinations against diseases as a child like other
> children and my entire body is totally void of any evidence of vaccination
> or needle scars. This is because my ancestors lived natural lives and unlike
> capitalist consumers were allergic to modern medicine.
> 2) I had to undergo extremely painful operations as a child, which left me
> mentally scarred, and with an even stronger phobia of doctors.
> 3) Since my horrific operation on my throat, inner ears and nasal cavities I
> have avoided hospitals and doctors and have only visited in cases of broken
> bones as a quick in and out visitor.
>
> My friends recommended that I visit a doctor as more than a week passed and
> my throat was still swollen. I thought that a visit would not do to much
> harm and I plucked up the courage to go. I was terrified and almost fainted
> when I heard that I must take a blood test. The first time I went to see the
> nurse I almost vomited and had to sit down and collect myself for over 2
> hours before mustering up the courage to visit the nurse. Even though I felt
> my body tensing like a rock I knew that for the sake of all the poor
> children the poisoned chocolate from Tesco that I had to let my blood be
> drawn.
>
> Tesco had promised to get back to me with details of the poison and how it
> reacts with cocoa butter to produce even deadlier poisons, they also
> promised to let me know about the side effects and after affects of these
> poisons, this they never did and so I felt compelled in the interests of
> mankind to pursue by filing complaints with the Thai FDA at the Ministry of
> Public Health and Welfare, the Thai Consumer Protection Agency and the Crime
> Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police.
>
> These complaints soon disappeared as Tesco confessed in writing that Mars in
> Australia had found traces of solvent contamination in the Mars bars that
> were on sale at Tesco Lotus Rama 3.
>
> The case progresses reports and evidence has been scanned and copies of the
> evidence can be obtained by emailing and requesting it from
>
>
> The case has been submitted to numerous Thai authorities and it is
> surprising that justice is not forthcoming.
Akbar Khan
e-mail:
ak@aakz.com
Disarm RFID tags.
07.09.2008 17:24
You only need a disposable camera, a ferrite bar, fine copper wire and that's all.
First open up the camera and remove the flash unit.
Wrap the ferrite bar with the fine copper wire. About 6-8 layers should be enough.
Solder or connect the two ends of the copper coil to where the flash unit was connected.
Turn on the camera and you should hear it charging up. Then put it close to any RFID and "take a photo".
Obviously you won't get a lovely photo for your album, but the RFID tag will be fried and won't work.
What happens is that the "new" camera now sends an electro-magnetic charge and destroys all RFID's.
IMPORTANT: If you use this near your credit cards and other electronic goods, you may fry them also.
If you can get to the RFID tag, you can disarm it by tearing it off (obviously) or by just tearing it in half or just a corner. As long as the circuit is broken then it won't work.
I hope I have helped in some way.
Have fun ;)
TAUROS