RFID: spychips or useful devices?

Written by: Jonathan Briggs

March 29, 2007 [4650 views]

Outline

• What is RFID?
• What are the applications?
• How could this be combined with other technologies?
• Spychips?
• Should we be worried?

What is RFID?

Radio Frequency Identification (tags)

Image of an RFID tag

Think of an RFID tag as a modern barcode

• An RFID system consists of tags (transponders), antennas and transceivers (transmitter/receivers)
• Tags (transponders) consist of a coil of wire plus a silicon chip (and perhaps a battery)
• Tags can be as small as a pill, shaped like a credit card or woven into a label
• Antennas can be built into doorways, road toll barriers, hand held scanners or checkout areas
• When the tag is placed near the energised antenna (2 cm – 30 m depending on type of tag and frequency) a small amount of current flows in the coil within the tag enabling simple commands to be executed by the chip. This might be as simple as revealing a predefined ID which can be read by the antenna or the [storage and retrieval of data
• Some tags have their own power source (active tags) which increases the range over which they can operate
• In some applications multiple tags can be read at the same time or while the tag or reader are moving
  Tags can be read-only or read/write
• RFID tags are becoming cheaper as they become more common with tags costing a few pence each in the UK
• In the future parts of tags may be printed with magnetic ink

Application areas

• Pet passports
• Baggage tracking
• Rapid checkout in supermarkets
• Ticketing (Oystercard)
• Secure access to buildings
• Prisoner or patient tagging
• Vehicle tracking

Combined with other technologies

• Databases: cheap, small RFID tags can be made more useful if the reader can access information via the unique ID stored in a database. This removes the need to store some information inside the tag itself although it is sometimes useful to store additional data (such as a credit limit) inside the tag
• Mobile phones and telephone numbers. If a link can be established between a tag and a mobile number then an SMS can be triggered by the tag
• Biometrics: governments can store biometric information inside the tag

Spychips?

• RFID tags can be hidden in products and embedded in objects such as books, cartons, shoes and even money. Manufacturers could put the tags into items during the manufacturing process
• Employers could monitor your location through a network of antennas even in the bathroom
• Fashion companies could imbed RFID into garments and recognise you when you enter a store
• Shops could take a picture of you when you picked up a high value item such as razor blades
• Many manufacturers are pushing for standardised product numbering (across different manufacturers)
• Governments could restrict benefits to those carrying RFID smartcards
• Marketers could scan your rubbish for information on what you buy
• With next generation loyalty cards, shops could re-price goods based on your loyalty and value to them
• Tags are routinely inserted under the skin of pets. This could be extended to prisoners or patients? Would you have an RFID implant?

Should we be worried? (a personal view)

• People like us will design and build the systems that use RFID. Its up to us to consider the ethical and privacy issues.
• Used well, RFID can enable useful applications, products and services
• RFID raises bigger issues about identity and privacy that are already in everyday life such as credit agencies and loyalty cards. Need a bigger debate about personal data.
• It should be possible to remove RFID tags and all products containing tags should be labelled
• Governments should not make any services dependent on (covert) chips
• Companies who misuse the technology should be exposed.

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