Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) & Privacy

The talk will include an overview of RFID, with focus on the recently launched Electronic Product Code (EPC) and its related standards, sponsors and stakeholders.

EPC RFID tagging has been mandated by two "800-pound gorillas" in the market: Wal*Mart and the U.S. Department of Defense. There will be ripples up and down supply chains as a conquence of their actions. These deployments are moving into somewhat uncharted territory, and a variety of issues are likely to arise during the actual field use of RFID.

Item-level tagging, and various non-supply chain uses of RFID, will introduce end consumers to RFID tags, along with issues of surveillance and privacy. How the economics of the RFID market and consumer and policymaker concerns bear out will determine the effects of RFID on privacy.

The talk will conclude with a brief discussion of the "Sorting Door" project, an investigation of RFID, surveillance and privacy, now being launched.