"Growing support for radio frequency identification (RFID), tagging among technology vendors and retailers is creating both conveniences for consumers and new threats to their privacy... However, privacy advocates fear that the tags can be left "active" after a sale, and the data stored will continue to be accessible. What's more, RFID tags placed in store loyalty cards, for example, could be used to profile consumers' shopping patterns. "I can't really see the positive aspects of RFID for consumers and citizens," said Rena Tangens, founder and board member of the German privacy group FoeBuD e.V. Tangens argued that it is easy to covertly place RFID tags in products without consumers knowing. Transmitter guns could then theoretically access information about consumers stored in the tags. Her group, which gives out an annual tongue-in-cheek Big Brother Award to companies that they deem as privacy violators, is calling for new legislation and technologies to protect consumers from the mishandling of RFID technology."
Full story: NetworkWorldFusion: http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0319cebitrfi.html
cotse.net, Worcester, 19. März 2004
Original: http://www.cotse.net/privacy/shopping.htm