[ISN] GNU project founder foils UN security

http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27834

By Nick Farrell
21 November 2005

FOUNDER of the GNU project, Richard Stallman, got in trouble at the UN
World Summit on the information society in Tunis for putting tin foil
around his RF ID.

Stallman is no fan of RF IDs because they hold personal data as
securely as a sieve holds water. He was miffed that RF ID cards were
being used despite promises at the last UN conference in 2003 that
they wouldn't be.

He bought an entire roll of aluminium foil and wore his foil-shielded
pass prominently and unwrapped it to go through any of the
check-points.

During his keynote speech Stallman gave a moment's talk about the RF
ID issue, and passed his roll of aluminium foil around the room for
others to use.

Soon everyone was shielding their passes and afterwards Stallman was
taken aside by UN security who refused to let him leave the room to
talk to press, because he was flouting their security measures.

Apparently it took a fairly high level shouting before Stallman was
allowed to continue with his series of speeches.

You can read all about it in an eye witness bog by Stallman's mate
Bruce Perens here [1]. µ

[1] http://perens.sourcelabs.com/



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