RFID Tracking Miniaturization

First it was RFID tracking ink, now with the introduction of the new generation Hitachi mu-chips, miniaturization proves for yet another time it has huge privacy implications :

"On February 13, Hitachi unveiled a tiny, new “powder” type RFID chip measuring 0.05 x 0.05 mm — the smallest yet — which they aim to begin marketing in 2 to 3 years. By relying on semiconductor miniaturization technology and using electron beams to write data on the chip substrates, Hitachi was able to create RFID chips 64 times smaller than their currently available 0.4 x 0.4 mm mu-chips. Like mu-chips, which have been used as an anti-counterfeit measure in admission tickets, the new chips have a 128-bit ROM for storing a unique 38-digit ID number."

I will spare you the acronym as I'm sure you know which intelligence agency is sitting on the world's largest budget, but just a wake up call that all technologies that are just getting commercialized or a first mention in the mainstream media have already been developed, even abondoned for more advanced alternatives by this agency years ago -- despite the fact that Hitachi is a Japanese company it's an U.S agency I'm talking about. OSI are definitely remembering the old school days now. Picture courtesy of Hitachi comparing the chip's size next to a grain of rice.

UPDATE: Slashdot picked up the story.