RFID's effects on privacy

[roo_ster]

If you use cash, how does the scanner tell that you're the buyer -- as opposed to the 37 other people within X-feet of the counter who also have RFID stuff in their pockets. Is the store supposed to set up an 20-foot perimeter around each cash register within which only the customer currently checking out can enter, lest some poor shlub looking through the clearance rack 5-feet away gets mistaken for the buyer because he has an RFID key-fob in his pocket?

No, they would do just the opposite and place cash registers within 20' (or whatever useful distance) of each other. That way, they can use the differing signal strength to more accurately determine location. The more registers/RFID scanners, the better. It is analogous to GPS: the more satellites you can connect with, the better your location estimate.

I did not suggest that every cell phone would also be an RFID scanner, I was merely showing that the mating of an RFID scanner with cell phone functionality allows it to access a nearly ubiquitous comms network from remote locations.

The idea of cell phones with embedded RFID scanning tech is, however, a scary thought and do-able. Why not? We already have the equivalent of personal computers integrated into cell phones.

As to the sheer volume of RFID hits, you are right in that a lot would be noise. As I wrote earlier, I doubt its initial use woud be to track everybody all the time, everywhere. Trade-offs would be made as to who, where, & when the tracking would occur. As technology matures, fewer trade-offs need to be made.

 

[NMshooter]

Don't worry jfruser, folks are working on solutions to those pesky "needle in the haystack" problems.

Amazing what you can do with a modern computer and the right software.

Too late to worry about legislation, countermeasures however...

I envision personal ECM suites, hey, if Mark Valentine can make a fortune on radar and laser detectors just think what he could do for tracking devices.

 

[cuchulainn]

jfruser: No, they would do just the opposite and place cash registers within 20' (or whatever useful distance) of each other. That way, they can use the differing signal strength to more accurately determine location.

I still don't think they would be able to distinguish an RFID tag on a particular person in a crowded store. In many cases, you might be talking about triangulating down to a couple inches to distinguish between two people in line.

Old Dog: All I'm saying is that perhaps we should be worrying a bit more now that the exploitation of invasive technology is finally being overtly marketed -- and no one cares!

Well maybe there eventually will be private sector solutions, much like that for cookies, spyware, etc. What we're talking about is really nothing but spyware, but on items other than computers. Perhaps the answer would be devices that set up personal firewalls, or something like that. Or maybe the answer is devices that deactivate the tags.

In any event, we certainly don't want the government to "protect" us from "big business RFIDs” -- we'd end up with something like that unwieldy behemoth: HIPAA.

 

[lysander]

In any event, we certainly don't want the government to "protect" us from "big business RFIDs”

Boom goes the dynamite! (don't worry mods...this is a pop culture reference to a sportscaster highlight...not a call for armed insurrection)

We certainly don't want that. What we do want is for private industry to be free to both offer RFID and to offer countermeasures.

Somehow I don't see that happening....I see the anti RFID tech getting b-slapped into illegality.

 

[DRZinn]

Thus, to track people/items with RFID you'd need scanners about every 15 feet or every 250 feet, depending on which kind you used.

Not really. One (powered) per car and one in your clothing, and a reader at every intersection would get pretty close.

In any event, tracking would require networked scanners, and even if Big Brother is willing to live with gaps in the tracking and opt for "strategic locations only," the network still would be a big deal economically.

Not really. Depends on how many people they want to track. They could read everything, but only make certain tags "of interest." You'rer assuming they'd track everyone at all times, which I'll grant is not feasible. Yet.

 

[benEzra]

In many cases, you might be talking about triangulating down to a couple inches to distinguish between two people in line.

People where you live must be friendlier in grocery store lines than they are here.