Privacilla assails anti-RFID activists as hysterical [priv]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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From: "Jim Harper - Privacilla.org" <jim.harper () privacilla org>
To: <declan () well com>
Subject: FW: Privacilla Criticizes Anti-Commercial Screed Against RFID Tags
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 13:55:40 -0500

Maybe this is interesting to you or Politech.  I have the report if you 
want a copy, but it is embargoed until 7:00 pm tonight.

RFID tags are the new “cookies.”  I just don’t see any “there” there.

Jim



Jim Harper
Editor
Privacilla.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Harper - Privacilla.org [mailto:jim.harper () privacilla org]
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 1:50 PM
Subject: Privacilla Criticizes Anti-Commercial Screed Against RFID Tags

The elegant Web version of this release is at: 
<http://www.privacilla.org/releases/press027.html>http://www.privacilla.org/releases/press027.html 

Happy Friday afternoon, everyone! . . .


For Immediate Release
November 14, 2003

Contact: Jim Harper

(202) 546-3701

http://www.privacilla.org
Privacilla Criticizes Anti-Commercial Screed Against RFID Tags
Paper Contains More "Science 'Fantasy'" Than Legitimate Privacy Concern

Washington, D.C. ­ A position paper on RFID tags being released by 
anti-commercial groups includes more science fantasy than legitimate 
privacy concerns, according to privacy think-tank Privacilla.org.

In advance of a weekend conference on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) 
tags, a group of activist groups are issuing a paper alleging substantial 
privacy concerns related to the new technology. One of the groups endorsing 
the report is the ACLU, which has publicly 
<http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,80267,00.html>exposed the e-mail 
addresses of activists, and was recently fined by the New York Attorney 
General for privacy violations.

RFID tags are tiny chips that can be used to track the movement of freight, 
consumer products, or other items, allowing them to be delivered to 
consumers at lower cost.

"The report is as much science fantasy as legitimate privacy concern," said 
Jim Harper, Editor of Privacilla.org. "In this report, RFID readers on 
freeways read tags embedded in shoes and transmit the information to 
satellites. Yes, shoe-tracking satellites circling the globe."

In actual consumer applications, the tags will be readable to a distance of 
around five feet. Thus, once most goods leave a store, they will have been 
scanned for the last time. If an RFID tag were scanned a second time, sewn 
into a piece of clothing, for example, the tag reader would not know 
whether it is on a person or in a trash bag, much less who was wearing it 
or carrying it.

"A good imagination can come up with concerns about RFID tags, but concerns 
about commercial use of RFID tags fall apart under real-world analysis," 
said Harper. "Under any scenario, there just isn't going to be post-sale 
data-collection about the movement of canned peaches."

"This is important because bogus anti-RFID hype can really harm consumers," 
continued Harper. "The sooner this technology can lower the price of baby 
formula and diapers, the better."

Each concern listed in the report is premised on RFID tags being linked to 
particular people at the point of sale. This could be done by linking check 
payments, credit cards, and bank cards to purchases. The same potential 
exists today with the bar codes on nearly every consumer product today.

"If it worries consumers, they'll carry cash," said Harper. "This isn't 
rocket science."

To the extent real consumers have concerns about RFID tags, they will ask 
for and get the protections they want in the marketplace. Because of 
consumer perception and demand, companies and stores today offer foods and 
products that are organic, non-genetically modified, or free of animal 
testing.

"If consumers care, there will be 'RFID-free' products and stores. 
Deployment of RFID tags for the rest of us should not be slowed by 
activists with a self-indulgent hyper-privacy agenda."

In passing, the report expresses concerns about government use of RFID 
tags. Governments have unique power to collect and use information 
adversely to citizens' interests. People do not have consumer power when 
they are dealing with government entities.

"This report should have been inverted," said Harper, "The 'consumer 
concerns' should have been mentioned in passing, and potential use of RFID 
tags for government surveillance should have been the primary focus."

Privacilla.org 
(<http://www.privacilla.org/index.html>http://www.privacilla.org) is an 
innovative Web site that captures "privacy" as a public policy issue. 
Privacilla has been described as a "privacy policy portal" and an "online 
think-tank."
####


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