Introduction
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a subset of
a group of technologies, often referred to as automatic
identification, that are used to help machines identify
objects, and which include bar codes and smart cards.
RFID refers to the subset of automatic identification
that uses radio waves to automatically identify bulk or
individual items.
RFID has been around for a long time, one of its
original uses being the identification of aircraft
during the Second World War. Until recently it was
viewed as being too expensive and too limited in
functionality for many commercial applications.
Advances in technology have both reduced the cost of
individual system components and provided increased
capabilities, to the point where numerous organizations
are either using or considering using RFID technology.
In fact, some organizations, notably Wal-Mart and the US
Defense Department, have mandated the use of RFID by
their business partners.
While RFID technology offers numerous benefits for
manufacturers, for instance, certain characteristics of
the technology also raise a number of privacy concerns.
What is Radio Frequency Identification Technology?
An RFID system consists of three components: a tag
(or multiple tags), a reader or interrogator and the
necessary supporting infrastructure (both hardware and
software).
An RFID reader, or interrogator, is a device to
communicate with the RFID tag. It broadcasts a
radio signal, which is received by the tag. The
tag then transmits its information back to the reader.
Readers can either be portable handheld terminals or
fixed devices that can be positioned in strategic places
such as loading bays in shipping and receiving
facilities, or the doors in transport trucks.
RFID tags, also known as transponders, are usually
small pieces of material, typically comprising three
components: an antenna, a microchip unit containing
memory storage and an encapsulating material. Tags
can be either read-only or read-write tags. These
terms refer to whether or not the information stored on
the tag can be changed or erased. A Read-only
Tag is a form of RFID tag that has an
identification code (more specifically, an Electronic
Product Code) recorded at the time of manufacture or
when the tag is allocated to an object. Once
programmed, the data on the tag cannot be modified or
appended but it may be read multiple times. A
Read-Write Tag is a tag that can have its memory
changed, or written to, many times. Because their
ID codes can be changed, they offer greater
functionality albeit at higher price.
While commonly seen as a replacement for the
Universal Product Code (UPC), or bar code, RFID tags
differ from bar codes in several ways. More than
one tag can be read at a time. Tags do not require
a direct line of sight for reading and may be read
through hard material such as book covers or other
packaging material. Each tag can uniquely identify
the object to which it is attached, even if that object
is one of a multitude of identical items. It is
these latter characteristics that are the cause of many
of the privacy concerns associated with the use of RFID
technology.
In addition to the tags and readers, an RFID system
also includes other software and hardware. The
most important component is the RFID-specific software
that translates the raw data from the tag into
information about the goods and orders that are
represented by the tags. This information can then
be fed into other databases and applications (e.g.,
inventory management) for further processing. In
the case of read-write tags, software is also required
to control whether data can be written to the tag, which
tag should contain the data and to initiate the process
of adding data to, or changing data in the tag.
Potential Uses of RFID Technology
Many public and private sector organizations are
either using or planning to use RFID technology.
Because the technology basically turns an inert object
into one capable of communicating, the potential for use
is enormous and limited only by our imagination and the
capabilities of the technology involved. Potential
uses include:
- Supply Chain Management (monitoring and
controlling the flow of goods from raw materials
through to finished product, from manufacturer to
consumer);
- Product Integrity (ensuring that products (e.g.,
pharmaceuticals) are authentic and have not been
altered in any way);
- Warranty Services (marking durable goods with a
tag incorporating a product registration code to
facilitate warranty services);
- ID, Travel, and Ticketing (providing a means to
verify the identity of the traveler and to ensure
that the documents are genuine);
- Baggage Tracking (monitoring and controlling the
movement of baggage from check-in to loading on an
airplane); and
- Patient Care and Management (providing a means
to rapidly and accurately verify information
concerning patient allergies, prescription history,
etc. to prevent surgical errors).
Privacy Concerns
Notwithstanding the current state of RFID technology
or current practices, certain aspects of the technology
– notably the small size of the tags and the ability to
uniquely identify an object – pose potential threats to
individual privacy. These include, but are not
necessarily limited to the following:
a) Surreptitious collection of information.
RFID tags are small and can be embedded into/onto
objects and documents without the knowledge of the
individual who obtains those items. As radio waves
travel easily and silently through fabric, plastic, and
other materials and are not restricted to line of sight,
it is possible to read RFID tags sewn into clothing or
affixed to objects contained in purses, shopping bags,
suitcases, and more. Tags can be read from a
distance, by readers that can be incorporated invisibly
into nearly any environment where human beings or items
congregate. It may not, therefore, be readily
apparent that RFID technology is in use, making it
virtually impossible for a consumer to know when or if
he or she is being "scanned”;
b) Tracking an individual’s movements. If
RFID tags are embedded in clothing or vehicles, for
example, and if there is a sufficiently dense network of
readers in place, it becomes possible to track those
tags in time and space. Applications to do just
this, using a combination of RFID and Global Positioning
System technology, are being proposed by RFID vendors.
If the tags can then be associated with an individual,
then by that association the individual’s movements can
be tracked. For example, a tag embedded in an
article of clothing could serve as a de facto identifier
for the person wearing it. Even if information
about the tagged item remains generic, identifying items
people wear or carry could associate them with, for
example, particular events like political rallies or
protests;
c) Profiling of individuals. When using bar
codes, one bottle of water has the same barcode as all
other bottles of water of that particular brand.
RFID technology potentially enables every object on
earth to have its own unique ID (i.e., each bottle of
water would have a unique identifier). The use of
unique ID numbers could lead to the creation of a global
item registration system in which every physical object
is identified and linked to its purchaser or owner at
the point of sale or transfer. If these unique
identifiers are associated with an individual (by
linking through a credit card number, for example), then
a profile of that individual’s purchasing habits can
easily be created;
d) Secondary use (particularly in the sense
of limiting or controlling such use). The creation of
profiles and the tracking of movement can reveal a great
deal of additional information. For example, the
revelation of personal information such as medical
prescription or personal health histories could have an
impact on the availability of insurance or employment;
and
e) Massive data aggregation. RFID deployment
requires the creation of massive databases containing
unique tag data. These records could be linked with
personal identifying data, especially as computer memory
and processing capacities expand. This, in turn,
could facilitate any of the practices listed above.
|
