Why is everyone concerned about RFID?
Retailers love them, privacy advocates eye them with suspicion and some folks think they're the "mark of the beast." For such tiny devices, RFIDs are stirring up huge controversies. But even as the tags infiltrate a range of things from clothing and pets to passports and license plates, confusion abounds over how the devices work, and what problems and advantages they bring.
What is RFID?
RFID stands for Radio Frequency IDentification. A computer chip is attached to an antenna, and they are often referred to together as an RFID tag. Data stored on the chip transmits wirelessly through the antenna to an RFID reader or scanning device that operates on the same frequency as the antenna.
Why is it becoming so popular?
Low-frequency RFID has been around for about 30 years, but it hasn't been practical for widespread use because manufacturing the chips and readers has been expensive. Also, a lack of standards that would allow any RFID reader to scan any chip kept the technology from being widely adopted, but proposed standards could help change that. Some RFID tags now cost less than 50 cents. Manufacturers like RFID because the technology is more convenient and durable than bar codes, which can be difficult to read if not passed directly in front of a scanner or if the bar code has faded or is torn on the product package. An RFID tag can also hold more useful information than a bar code, such as the expiration date of a perishable product like milk.
What are the concerns about RFID?
Privacy activists worry that RFID tags on individual products, rather than warehouse pallets, could track consumers inside and outside stores. Companies could collect information about customer interests based on where they go, especially if the serial numbers on tags are tied to an individual through purchases. Activists also warn that if tags are used widely in consumer products, police or FBI agents monitoring a political rally or religious service could scan a room with an RFID reader to determine quickly who is present or with whom the person carrying a tag associates.
Via Kim Zetter
What is RFID?
RFID stands for Radio Frequency IDentification. A computer chip is attached to an antenna, and they are often referred to together as an RFID tag. Data stored on the chip transmits wirelessly through the antenna to an RFID reader or scanning device that operates on the same frequency as the antenna.
Why is it becoming so popular?
Low-frequency RFID has been around for about 30 years, but it hasn't been practical for widespread use because manufacturing the chips and readers has been expensive. Also, a lack of standards that would allow any RFID reader to scan any chip kept the technology from being widely adopted, but proposed standards could help change that. Some RFID tags now cost less than 50 cents. Manufacturers like RFID because the technology is more convenient and durable than bar codes, which can be difficult to read if not passed directly in front of a scanner or if the bar code has faded or is torn on the product package. An RFID tag can also hold more useful information than a bar code, such as the expiration date of a perishable product like milk.
What are the concerns about RFID?
Privacy activists worry that RFID tags on individual products, rather than warehouse pallets, could track consumers inside and outside stores. Companies could collect information about customer interests based on where they go, especially if the serial numbers on tags are tied to an individual through purchases. Activists also warn that if tags are used widely in consumer products, police or FBI agents monitoring a political rally or religious service could scan a room with an RFID reader to determine quickly who is present or with whom the person carrying a tag associates.
Via Kim Zetter
posted by Youssef Chraibi at Wednesday, March 16, 2005
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