Tagging cattle’s been the talk of many towns as of late – and keeping track of livestock using RFID appears to have plenty of obvious benefits, like preventing mad cow disease from spreading.

But some aren’t so keen on using the new technology on those moo-ing beasts.

In 2006, the government outlined the implementation guidelines for the National Animal Identification System. The system is built around the use of small RFID and specialized computer software to create a virtual, real-time census of the nation’s cattle herd. But the civil libertarian element of farmers and cowboys in Arkansas and many states are suspicious of the government’s goal.   

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