Controversy accompanies new security technique

Techtalk

Imagine walking into a clothing store where one’s size measurements exist on the store’s computer. Imagine one’s personal buying habits and preferences at the disposal of a clerk with a personal data assistant. Now, imagine that these possibilities do exist.

Radio Frequency Identification tagging is the latest and greatest approach to inventory management for many enterprises. RFID began as a theft-deterrent device. Clothes are marked with an RFID tag to alert the store if someone has walked out with an active tag. Also, RFIDs make possible the use of EZ Passes and Smart Tags on toll roads. Recently, RFID tags have become so small they can be hidden and embedded in virtually anything. This feature has created controversial privacy and security issues.

Wal-Mart and many other large inventory corporations currently are in the process of moving their suppliers to RFID technology, according to cnet.com, an online news resource. Every shelf in a warehouse or cash register in a retail outlet is equipped with an RFID receiver. Once an item is pulled from the shelf, the RFID receiver knows where the inventory has been, where it’s going and who is going to be receiving it, according to news.com. For example, as a shirt is pulled off the shelf, a request for more of the same shirt is sent when supply is low. Each receiver is equipped with a unique identification so the store automatically can tell which supply is needed.

The controversy enters in that RFIDs have the capacity to track not only purchases, but people. Ultimately, consumers would be using, carrying and wearing objects that are designed to be watched and tracked.

Many companies opt to leave RFIDs enabled for future tracking purposes, according to cnet.com. Stores potentially could remember names, sizes and buying preferences of each customer. The RFID tag may trigger a database call which would alert the point of sale system of your card and number from your last purchase — a process that might seem a bit too invasive for some.

In the future, RFIDs could become more controversial. One company, VeriChip, has developed the technology for these tags to be buried under the skin inconspicuously, according to 4VeriChip.com. At about the size of a grain of rice, the tag provides “emergency personal information” by allowing health officials to access pertinent personal health information.

The question now becomes how hard will technology push when it comes to the compromise of personal security and privacy?