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RFID Tech Infiltrating a British Institution

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the tea-and-tracking dept.

An anonymous reader writes, "According to silicon.com, Marks & Spencer — a department store as quintessentially British as tea & cake — is so pleased with its trial of RFID clothes-tagging that it's planning to roll it out nationwide. Considering that the UK's Information Commissioner recently made a lot of noise around the RFID track and trace tech, warning that Britain is 'sleepwalking into a surveillance society', Marks & Sparks seems to be setting itself up as a tweed-clad Public Enemy Number One."

5 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. Not so bad by RealSurreal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Given that the RFID tags are on disposable paper tags I don't see the problem. If you're too dumb to take off the label before you wear your new clothes you deserve all you get.

  2. what? by bunions · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They're just using RFID to prevent shoplifting. Buy the item, take the tag off - beats the hell out of those giant plastic things you see now. Can someone explain to me how this is bad? I mean, for people who aren't shoplifing.

    --
    there is no need to sign your posts. this isn't usenet. your username is right there above your post. stop it.
  3. Re:Spencer != Sparks by RealSurreal · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's like a nickname. Marks and Spencer is widely referred to as Marks and Sparks in the UK. Don't ask me why. It just is.

  4. England has a widespread problem apparently by EvanED · · Score: 5, Insightful
    From this article:
    Considering that the UK's Information Commissioner recently made a lot of noise around the RFID track and trace tech, warning that Britain is 'sleepwalking into a surveillance society'


    But just a couple hours ago, there was another article warning that
    ...the country's oversight agency now puts that figure at $24 billion, and two Members of Parliament say the project is "sleepwalking toward disaster"...


    Perhaps someone should look into this sleepwalking. I'm sure there's some kind of treatment.
  5. What's the problem? Cameras not RFID. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They are anti-theft tags. We've had those for years, you just remove them when you buy the thing.

    The problem we have in Britain is with cameras, they are multiplying like a virus. One street in London
    I am watching currently has 82 cameras (I counted them), when it reaches 100 I'm writing an article for the
    newspaper. Some spots on the street are covered by up to 4 cameras. This is an ordinary public space.

    I hope we become more like the French and people start going out with shotguns, rocks and paint to
    vandalise and destroy these creepy nuicance devices which are proven not to reduce crime but lure
    people into false security so that next time you get mugged or raped you merely get to have everyone see
    it on YouTube.

    Also they are a vast waste of taxpayers public money which is goung to line the pockets of these
    so called "security companies". The money would be much better spent putting more police out on
    the streets.