You walk into your local Gap clothing store, and instead of being greeted by a salesperson, a 42-inch flat-screen plasma monitor flashes your name across the top, and a computerized voice says, "Welcome back to the Gap, [your name]." Next, the screen displays your purchase history, side-by-side with suggestions for future purchases.
You may be wondering how the computer got this information: the tag on your sweater emitted a unique signal to the computer the moment you walked into the store, identifying you as the customer.
This may sound like science fiction - or a scene from "Minority Report" - but this is all possible in the very near future using an already available technology: Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] tags.
RFID tags are the next generation of barcodes. Instead of identifying an object using lines with different thicknesses and separations the way that a barcode does, RFID tags transmit a unique signal when brought into close proximity with the appropriate radio transmission. This signal is sent to the RFID tag reader, which then matches the unique signal to a database, which retrieves the pertinent information.
RFID tags are very small, inexpensive, and require no batteries. Additionally, unlike their barcode predecessors, RFID tags do not require line-of-sight scanning. This means that instead of having to scan individual barcodes one-by-one, many products can be sent through an RFID tag reader at the same time.
Some of the more popular devices that currently utilize RFID technology are the Mobil Speedpass (pay-at-the-pump technology), EZ Pass and FastLane (electronic toll collection systems).
The future uses of RFID tags are virtually infinite, running the gamut from locating lost golf balls to tracking individuals who have an RFID chip embedded in their body. Casino chips will utilize RFID tags to create a virtually counterfeit-proof chip, while some hospitals have even begun replacing standard patient ID bracelets with RFID bands - allowing the hospital to know where every patient, doctor, or piece of medical equipment is located.
RFID technologies may provide great benefits, but they also come with great sacrifices to privacy.
According to senior Annie Shea, the idea of her spending habits being displayed on a plasma screen in the Gap for all to see is "really scary."
"I would not like that at all," she said.
Junior Mara Stahl agreed. "I personally just think that the problem with that is that it gives you a false sense of security when really you're giving up all this security," she said. "The FBI can have my fingerprints and all that kind of information, but does a Gap cashier really need to have it?"
Additionally, RFID tags are susceptible to active attacks, meaning that an intruder could actively send a radio signal and steal the information on the RFID tag. Imagine the consequences: a burglar could walk by your apartment, emit a radio signal and discover exactly what possessions are located inside.
Finally, unlike barcodes that only identify the type of product (Five Star Notebook vs. Mead Notebook), RFID tags can be used to identify individual products (Five Star Notebook # 443 vs. Five Star Notebook #444) and can link the payment information to that product - meaning that if you paid for a Five Star Notebook with a credit card, your credit card information would be linked with that notebook and could be stolen via an active attack.
"You're giving up all this security, and if someone really wants to have your information, they can get it," Stahl said. "It's best to keep the information you give out to a minimum."
There are things that can be done to protect yourself in the era of RFID technology. According to the website www.tagzapper.com, there are RFID jamming devices that deactivate RFID tags - such as the TagZapper, which, when placed over an RFID tag, will de-activate it.
There are also more rudimentary ways to deactivate an RFID tag, such as placing metal tinfoil over it or destroying the tag by placing it in the microwave.
These solutions may work temporarily, but more widespread ways of protecting privacy can be implemented by those creating and securing the technology. Since RFID tags themselves transmit no information besides a unique identification signal that is then linked to a database that extracts the pertinent information, if these databases are kept secure and routinely cleared, the threat to privacy may be slightly mitigated.
