Some people, myself included, just don't like being needlessly surveiled and snooped upon. Why, they wonder, should one's every movement be tracked and recorded by government peeping Toms and/or corporate marketing departments?

Cell phones already track our location, even when they're turned off (hint: remove the battery). Surveillance cameras are everywhere, and more are being added every day. Where is our society being led with this constant onslaught of high-tech snooping?

As with all problems of this kind, millions of clever and inventive people around the world are coming up with solutions. Call them what you will: neo-Luddites, dissidents or just plain crazy, more and more people are beginning to resist government and corporate surveillance schemes. One group that I find especially intriguing is the RFID rebels.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices, also known as "tags," are beginning to show up everywhere, and are turning into a modern-day replacement for merchandise bar codes. The devices consist of a tiny computer chip coupled to a radio that wirelessly broadcasts information to a nearby RFID reader. Local libraries use RFID tags to track books. Veterinarians will gladly inject your pets with RFID implants, allowing them to be easily identified should they run away or be lost. Many humans are also receiving these implants, sometimes against their will. The most common RFID use is tracking merchandise in stores. Many items that you buy have RFID tags attached, allowing retailers to efficiently track and manage their inventory. However, these tags usually remain enabled, even after you take the merchandise home. This bothers the RFID rebels.

Passports now have embedded RFID radios, as do many credit cards and other forms of identification. You may have seen TV commercials for the new "Freedom" credit card from Chase, demonstrating that you no longer need to endure the tremendous hassle of swiping your credit card. You simply wave your card within inches of the nearest RFID reader to make your purchases, and merrily go your way, enjoying your newly found "freedom." This sort of scenario also bothers the RFID rebels.

The problem is that your credit card does not know where or to whom it is broadcasting your private financial information. It could be to the RFID reader at the checkout counter. It could also be to the portable RFID reader hidden in the backpack of the guy standing next to you in line. There are plans on the Internet for building your own portable RFID reader from parts that you can buy at Radio Shack, all for less than $100. Don't think for one minute that criminals aren't using these devices in public places all around the world. With your RFID-enabled passport, driver's license, health insurance ID and credit cards, you are broadcasting a wealth of sensitive information everywhere you go.

The RFID rebels are fighting back with numerous high-tech and low-tech weapons. It's been known for some time that RFID tags can be disabled by short trips to a microwave oven. Be careful, though; if they're microwaved for too long, they tend to burst into flames. Other methods involve poking holes in the chip with a sewing needle, or giving the tag a good, hard whack with a hammer. The hammer method has been successfully used on many passports.

Other, less destructive methods of protecting oneself from RFID scanners abound. Radarjammers.com sells a nifty RFID jammer that's small enough to carry on your keychain. Plans for homemade jamming devices also exist. Many companies now offer wallets, purses and special passport sleeves that prevent RFID transmissions. Some people are simply lining their wallets with aluminum foil (yes, bring on the tinfoil hat jokes) and getting good results. I've heard that an empty, foil-lined Doritos bag will get the job done, although I haven't tried it myself.

For some very informative, sometimes funny and occasionally creepy videos on the subject, go to youtube.com and search for RFID. You won't be disappointed.

Dave Moore has been repairing computers in Norman since 1984, when he borrowed $1,200 to buy a Commodore 64 system. He can be reached at 919-9901 or www.davemoorecomputers.com.