BBE/IE: Canada (specifically, Williams Lake in British Columbia)

[BlameThe1st]

I just heard of this on Radio Dead Air's WTFIWWY Live. I can think of no better nomination:

Canadian City Plans to Track Offenders With Technology That Doesn't Even Exist

On Thursday, the tiny Canadian city of Williams Lake in British Columbia may have just beat them all with a shitty idea of awe-inspiring proportions: the city unanimously passed a motion to implant GPS tracking devices into so-called "high profile offenders" after their release from jail, so law enforcement can be aware of their activities at all times. Councillor Scott Nelson, who put the motion forward, told me over the phone that ankle-worn GPS devices don't go "far enough," and that chosen offenders could be harassers, sex offenders, or "people smashing stuff in the community."

Appalling implications for civil liberties aside—the BC Civil Liberties Association has already labeled the plan a "non-starter" under Canadian law, and the Privacy Commissioner's Office confirmed to Motherboard that it was not consulted about nor made aware of the plan—the idea has another huge flaw: implantable GPS devices do not currently exist commercially.

Say it with me, people: 1984 was not supposed to be a guide book!

[evensgrey]

Definitely an IE candidate, for wanting to carry out an Orwellian nightmare we don't actually have the capability to DO, and for what certainly sounds like things as minor as vandalism.  (Note how this would be defeatable with something along the lines of a tinfoil hat (or, more likely, tinfoil underwear).)

This doesn't really register very high on the bogometer, though.  Although any company willing to throw away the rest of the market for implantable electronics to fulfill this tiny niche probably would be.