Government Technology

Public Trust of RFID


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November 14, 2007 By

In October, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law banning the forced implantation of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags in humans by an employer.

RFID tags are basically a microchip attached to an antenna which transmits information with radio waves. A scanner picks up these radio signals and sends the information to a computer system, thus identifying the item the chip is attached to. RFIDs are used today to track inventory, in library books, passports, automatic toll bridge systems and even credit cards.

But for most, this technology is vague and formless. People do not realize they are using RFID every day in their car's keyless entry or company ID badges.

According to the study "RFID Reports: 'Public Policy: Understanding Public Opinion,'" by Auto-ID Labs, University of Cambridge, U.K., the main concern of people "is that they do not have a choice as to when or where the technology is used or as to how it will impact them." They are also concerned that the technology will be abused, creating a negative affect on their privacy.

This subject was expounded upon at the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Academy in San Francisco. Experts Daniel Pradelles, Privacy Officer for Hewlett Packard, and Sandra R. Hughes, Global Privacy Executive for Proctor & Gamble, explained the various privacy issues surrounding RFID, and what can be done to protect privacy while taking advantage of a new technology.


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