RFID Update

From Congressman Cliff Stearns, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee ...

... "The most common commercial application of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) uses radio waves to transmit data from a transmitter called a tag to a scanning device called a reader, which can be networked with a computer database, explained Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Chairman of the Commerce, Trade & Consumer Protection Subcommittee. These RFID tags can be attached by manufacturers and retailers to products and packaging for tracking large bulk containers and pallets along the supply chain. One possible application of this technology involves using readers at a store checkout - consumers place tagged items in their shopping cart, pass through the checkout where the items are read, and their accounts are automatically updated without waiting in line,' said Stearns. 'However, this point of sale application raises privacy issues and these questions. Will I be able to disable or remove the tag? What happens to the data harvested from my purchase? How secure is that data, and what prevents third parties from accessing and misusing that information? The subcommittee heard testimony from a distinguished panel of witnesses from academia, business, and consumer privacy organizations. Representing WalMart, the world's largest retailer, Linda Dillman, Executive Vice President & Chief information Officer, outlined the company's use of RFID. 'Currently, cases and pallets of 21 products from eight suppliers destined for one distribution center and seven Supercenters in North Texas are being tagged. The readers assist Wal-Mart in knowing when a product is received, where it is stored, when it goes on the sales floor, if it returns for any reason, and when the case is submitted for recycling." ...