rfid and privacy - part 1

RFID Tag:A tiny chip connected to an antenna

Hitachi’s 0.3 mm mu chip RFID tags in use at Extra “Future Store” in Rheinberg, Germany

Unique ID number for all physical objects

EPC: Electronic Product CodeIdentifies Manufacturer and Item, and provides Unique ID

Tiny chips could be very hard to spot

Especially when “printed” onto product packaging

"The vision is to move from the etched, solid metal antennas to the printed antennas."

"Since radio waves travel through most packaging materials, packagers...could print the antenna…inside of the box. They could laminate it inside the package, or print it on the outside and print over it."

– Dan Lawrence, Flint Ink

And they’re getting smaller.

Hitachi’s mu-chip contrasted with grains of rice

They can be integrated into paper

Inkode’s “chipless tag”: Closeup of Inkode metal fibers embedded in paper

Tags can be sewn into clothing

Hidden in fabric labels(Checkpoint prototype)

Back of Checkpoint clothing label

RFID tag in Checkpoint label

Embedded in shoes

A 6” tag is hard to hide.

Alien/RAFSEC “C” tag

Or is it? Hidden: Sandwiched in cardboard

6” Alien/RAFSEC “C” tag inside a box

This tag (with a 17ft. read range) is easy to spot, right?

Alien/RAFSEC “I” Tag

Not when “placed inside cap” – an inaccessible location on this flip-top product

Alien/RAFSEC “I” tag in lid of Pantene shampoo bottle

Another big tag (4.5”)

Alien/RAFSEC “S” Tag

“placed between layers of paper”

Alien/RAFSEC “S” Tag in Bag

The government has mandated RFID in passports

Now they’re appearing in credit cards

Traceable Cash

Japanese yen and Euro banknotemay soon carry RFID chips

Tracking people: The “Verichip” implant

(short read range)

Industry has plans to ID shoppers

“Future Store”

Spychip hidden in loyalty card

Threat: Ubiquitous readers

Texas Instruments advises retailers to scan customers’ loyalty cards right through their purse or walletSource: http://www.ti.com/tiris/docs/solutions/pos/loyalty.shtml

Outcome: 75 People protested in Dallas just this month