RFID Tags

RFID Tags, A Crash Course
RFID tags are coming up more and more in conversation these days, but until now I could honestly say that I had only the vaguest idea of how they work and what the actual privacy risks of RFID technology were, which is surprising since I've been in a fair number of privacy debates about them. I hope to both solidify my knowledge and rectify this for anyone who has found themselves in the same situation I was with this blog post.

So, what the heck is RFID?
Lets start off this little crash course in RFID technology by attaching some words to that acronym. RFID stands for Radio-Frequency IDentification. This is a very useful thing to know, because it also introduces the main concept behind RFID tags as a whole: Radio Waves. In the simplest terms, and really that is the best way to describe anything, RFID is a method of transmitting data about an object (animate or inanimate) using a unique serial number over radio waves. This is arguably better than bar-code technology because there is no need to see or even be relatively close to the RFID tag in order to read it.

What are the components of an RFID system?
I'm glad you asked! Rather than give you a big old boring description, just take a look at this picture. I've linked to the article it is from, but the picture was the only thing I looked at until my second pass through my relevant information on RFID tags.









What are the different types of RFID tags?
There are both active and passive RFID Tags, as well as a hybrid of the two, just to make things complicated. Active RFID has an internal power source (most likely a battery) that allows the RFID tag to both receive and generate signals to and from the RFID reader. Passive RFID tags reflect energy from the RFID reader and use that to push out a low energy response. In my opinion just knowing that there is a hybrid RFID tag will most likely put you far ahead of anyone you are discussing this with, and you can probably extrapolate why it is different from the name, but you can read more here if you want.




















Where would I encounter RFID technology?
It is quite possible that the information I give you on this will be aged by the time you read it, so I'll be vague in my description of potential uses of RFID so as not to age my blog prematurely, but the main use of RFID tags is tracking either a product or a person. You will find that all my examples are just building off of this core use:

• Manufacturing (Tracking work in progress)
• Retailing (Tracking merchandise, both shipping and theft prevention)
• Toll roads (Tracking cars and payments incurred)
• Security and access control (Tracking where people can and should be)

Now imagine if RFID tags were used for products you can purchase at, say, Wal-Mart, as is referenced in the following article. You would simply pick out what you want and leave, and the items would be automatically recorded and charged to your RFID enabled credit card. This would mean the death of the line, the beginning of the end of standing around waiting for the store to get around to taking your money.

Last potential scenario: Imagine being able to automatically set your Tim Horton's order before you get to the drive-thru, maybe using your RFID enabled smart phone. You just drive up, no waiting, and grab your order. Once you have it in hand your credit card is automatically charged. No fumbling in your cup holder for that quarter you know you put there, no awkward shifting to reach your wallet in your pocket, no hassle at all.

What's all this about privacy concerns?
Since RFID is designed to be tracked, privacy automatically becomes a major concern, in many cases with good reason. I will propose to you some scenarios, but I leave it to you to make your own conclusions, since I'm not even sure how I feel about it all yet.

If everything you buy has an RFID tag in it, let's say to prevent theft, who is to say that they stop being used when you purchase the item? Anonymity can be easily lost if many of your belongings have an individual identification number. Would this information be accessible to the police? The government? Would it be possible to put in a court order for records of the location of your belongings at a specific time?

Also, who is to say that you know about having an RFID tag on you at all? The technology has advanced to the point that RFID tags are so small as to be practically invisible, as they are comparable to a grain of sand in some cases. This opens the flood gates to being tracked against your will or knowledge by pretty much anyone with access to an RFID reader and tag.

Finally, remember the potential scenario suggested above; if your credit card information is flying through the air on radio waves how long would it be before someone learns how to take advantage of that?

Where can I go to read more?
If you wish to check your facts, which I highly recommend in general, you can take a look at How Stuff Works, which has an excellent and detailed article on RFID tags.

Another excellent stop in your quest for knowledge would be the Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility. They also have an almost too extensive glossary which you might enjoy.

To read more about privacy issues you can take a look at this article from CNet News.

Remember to keep sharp and don't forget that everyone has a bias. Find your facts through a variety of sources and develop your own opinions.

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