NEWS: SAY GOODBYE TO PRIVACY! PUBLIC EYE SCANNERS ARE HERE...

I am not one to get scared easily, but this kind of stuff makes me want to hide under the covers. Not because there is the monster in my closet but because apparently big brother can now scan my eyes in the mall. Don't fret yet though, it hasn't come to your mall yet unless you are a resident of Leon, Mexico. If this doesn't sound like a scene from the Minority Report I don't know what does.


Well... there it is. The system which is developed by Global Rainmakers Inc., does not require you to go face to face with it in order to recognize your eyes. It also processes anywhere between 15 to 30 people in a minute's time. So it is not super fast like most of you were probably thinking but it still does process quiet a bit of information in that said time. There a lot of flaws to this system, however.

How do you avoid getting your eyes scanned? Averting your eyes away from the scanner is one of them. Wearing colored contacts is another way to mess up the process of scanning. Sun glasses or even sunglasses can also help avoid getting your eyes scanned. This is kinda easy to do if you ask me. If any two-bit criminal has any kind of intelligence he will slip on a set of shades the next time he heads out in public if this system does go worldwide. The scanners are also meant to label people as criminals so that they can not enter certain stores. Sure it is a good thing to stop the pedo from entering the Disney store but to turn away the 40 year old man who was caught stealing a VHS tape when was 25 years old entrance into Sears is gonna make for some angry people.

James Carter, CDO of Global Rainmakers Inc, says that everyone in the world will be part of the iris system in 10 years. Noble cause is in place here by Mr. Carter but the system can truly blow up in his face. Unless you plan to make wearing sunglasses, colored contacts and averting your eyes from public scanners illegal then you have some serious room for error. Not only that, this is a system just begging to be hacked. It won't be easy but when you have enough determined hackers in the world that want to mess with the government and people's lives then it can most definitely happen.


All in all, this idea is valiant but flawed. Too much money is going toward something than can easily be hindered by a simple pair of shades. If this retinal scan program goes worldwide, get ready for some uproar. Invasion of privacy is already in place thanks to the Patriot Act, we don't need to add to it.

The government wants to control us, but we won't let them. Turn off the TV for a day. Take a day off. Take a step back and realize what direction we are going in. We say we are moving forward... but we might be just going backwards with our heads turned.

Peace
-JJW

P.S. After writing this article I have been informed that sunglasses will not affect the scanning process. I would like to see how a wall in front of your eyes can't hinder the image processing of your eyeball. If they are using a laser that strong to pierce through the eyes then I congratulate them. However, that just means we need thicker shades. Ya dig?

Sources:
Carr, Austin. "Iris Scanners Create the Most Secure City in the World. Welcome, Big Brother | Fast Company." FastCompany.com. 18 Aug. 2010. Web. 20 Aug. 2010. http://www.fastcompany.com/1683302/iris-scanners-create-the-most-se...
"The End of Privacy: Entire City to Track People With Public Eye Scanners." Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide. 18 Aug. 2010. Web. 19 Aug. 2010. http://gizmodo.com/5615901/the-end-of-privacy-has-started-in-the-ci...