RFID Kill Command Proposed To Ease Privacy Concerns

morcheeba writes "In the ongoing RFID benefits vs. privacy concerns saga, backlash has prompted manufacturers to include a password-protected "kill" command into new RFID protocols. Will this eliminate too many of the benefits for manufacturers?"

Comments

How would you know

[epsalon]

OK, they implement the "kill" feature. But - How can the customer know they RFID tag was in fact killed? They can just say they killed it, and the customer has to believe.

Sorry, not good enough

[Jahf]

This doesn't work for me ... sorry, but RFID as-is is just potentially too invasive. It will be like wearing hardware cookies on your body or in your tires. I like cookies in my browser, but I still place some restrictions on them.

The only viable option to preserve consumer privacy while enhancing retail usability would be legistlation that requires the RFID tag to be put on a removable label. Buy a shirt with an RFID tag? No worries, just tear off the removable tag. Put a recycling bin at the store exit or cash register and the company can even put the tags back into use (a well done RFID database should allow the store to deactivate an RFID upon purchase and reactivate upon recycling).

Worried about shoplifters removing the RFID tag before purchase? Too bad. A smart shoplifter will find a way around this system, too (heck, RFID tags may in theory make it -easier- to do the old price tag switching maneuver, too). To make it a bit nastier, make it illegal to remove the tag before purchase. Embedding the tag in an unremovable place is bound to be attractive to companies that want to be sure nothing walks out the door, but sorry, I'm willing to pay a bit more for merchandise and have my privacy secure.

Otherwise I'll wait until some bright folks invent a nice little RFID jammer before I buy from a store that has these implemented or a proven device that can fry RFIDs.

A jammer should not be that hard to do. It could sense when an RF signal was going out to read the tags and then respond back with tons of nonsense tags (like the 802.11b project that broadcasts thousands of fake SSIDs). Or it could sense when your RFID tag was -responding- and send stuff out then. You could make it illegal to use the scanner in a retail chain, but once out the door turn it on so that your car's tires can't be scanned at McDonald's.

A truly intelligent scanner could be made that figured out your RFID signatures, uploaded them to other people with a jamming device, then you can help foil the inevitable scanners by carrying around random RFIDs of other people in the system.

Seriously, if people could read the bar tags off whatever box you were carrying around, even when it was in a bag, do you think people wouldn't carry big fat black magic markers around to disable the bar codes after purchase (or simply rebel against the concept of bar codes)?

I seriously don't want to have to expand my concept of a "personal firewall" to this level. Privacy has been nearly destroyed as-is, but at least I can still buy a shirt, tires, etc with cash and not have it logged with my name. But RFID enables complete tracking of individuals who carry the tags around. A quick example for closing (since I'm sure someone is going to say this is bogus):

* I buy tires for my Jeep that have embedded RFID tags so that the local tire shop can easily track their inventory.

* I drive to McDonald's for a burger with those tags installed.

* McDonald's doesn't know what the RFID was for originally, but they really don't care, they can just assign the RFID to me.

* McDonald's doesn't know who I am though ... and at that point I wouldn't mind them giving me targetted ads or coupons at the drive through based on my anonymous RFID in their database ... BUT ... I forget to grab cash and stumble upon a McD's that takes credit (I think they either do now in some places or are planning to) so I fork over my card. *BANG* they know my name and some of my habits (as well as locations I've been if I tend to stop at McD's on those long road trips). It doesn't matter if I pay for everything after this point with cash as long as I drive my car there.

* Every store owned by McDonald's (did you know they own Chipotle for instance?) now knows about me. Better yet, some genious can now decide to sell my information to other marketing organizations.

* Add to this an RFID in your cellphone, you carry that everywhere, and the