Here comes the garbage police
‘Spy Chips’ Hidden In 2.6 Million Trashbins Aim To Tax Those Who Toss Too Much
LONDON – It’s the new front in the nanny state: Microchips placed in garbage bins to monitor how much people throw away.
A pro-privacy group warns in a new report that more than 2.6 million of the chips have been surreptitiously installed in what is seen as a first step toward charging those who toss too much.
Proponents say it’s a bid to push recycling. Opponents say it stinks.
“They should mind their own business,” said Terry Williams, an unemployed Londoner who thinks the government is meddling. “I believe they have gone too far. It’s not like we are throwing away anything that is illegal.”
The trash microchips are now part of the British information grid, which already includes a heavy reliance on closed-circuit television surveillance and cameras to monitor the population, particularly on the crowded public transportation system.
“This is yet another piece of surveillance that the councils are taking on in our daily life,” said Sharpe. “With this information they can tell if we are home or not, and the information is stored on their database, which is not that secure.”
He said the “pay as you throw” policy councils are planning to implement would discriminate against large families that generate more waste and might encourage people to burn their refuse – or dump it illegally – rather than pay extra.</em>
Again, thankfully I don’t live in the UK.
