Well, 1984 is here and Big Brother is watching — at least that’s what the more Orwellian-leaning pundits have to say, pundits who are seeking to pass legislation that would ban or regulate RFID technology.
So what’s all the fuss about?
The fuss starts with the nature of RFID technology. An RFID tag is placed on or in an object or person for the purpose of identification (think of it as a mini barcode). This information can then be tracked and read remotely. (You can read some of the more interesting details at How Stuff Works.) This is where the privacy folks get concerned — can someone else infringe on our privacy through the use of RFID on our stuff or on our person
The main applications of this technology can be found in medicine, agriculture, manufacturing, and retail. The benefits are huge in terms of medical accuracy and safety, cost efficiency, convenience, and anti-theft. Just think, electronic medical information could be attached to your person, or there could be tags on crucial medicines. While most people don’t object to retailers using electronic tags on merchandise to ensure it doesn’t walk out of the store illegally, other uses like RFID implants in humans and animals or applications for military intelligence and security spark a whole new level of privacy and moral arguments.
More: http://www.insideid.com/article.php/3690296
Source: http://www.insideid.com/
0 Responses to “24 July 2007 – Should the Feds Regulate RFID?”