RFID and consumer privacy concerns

RFID and consumer privacy concerns

Do you think consumer privacy concerns will inhibit RFID adoption?

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This is an excellent question and a valid concern. The real issue here is that RFID can be big brother if the manufacturers and stores that use it want it to be. I've worried about this myself. The technology is here...it's up to the various players to form the business practices surrounding it. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) is one of our best advocates as consumers. Check out their RFID page at http://www.epic.org/privacy/rfid for their position on this along with various other resources. Also check out the presentations and other material at the recent 2003 RFID policy workshop at MIT (www.rfidprivacy.org/agenda.php) for some interesting insight into the subject. Given its lack of widespread adoption we haven't seen many issues yet, but just wait, they're coming -- especially once the politicians figure out ways to use it to their advantage.

This was first published in December 2003