[LINK] Technology that exposes your dirty linen

[Geoffrey Ramadan]

Jan Whitaker wrote:
> At 05:16 PM 12/01/2008, Geoffrey Ramadan wrote:
>> Jan
>>
>> I don't understand the concern.
>>
>> The ARA privacy code states that Retailers must "provide details of 
>> retention, use and security of the specific data", so if they do Data 
>> Mine then they must advise the consumer.
>>
>> Also products are already barcode scanned, so the product is already 
>> identified. This "issue" of "data mining" is not "enhanced" in anyway 
>> because of RFID.
>>
>> Reg
>> Geoffrey Ramadan B.E.(Elec)
>> Chairman, Automatic Data Capture Association (www.adca.com.au)
>> and
>> Managing Director, Unique Micro Design (www.umd.com.au)
>
> The concern is what is stored and that it not be used for data mining. 
> I was told in meetings during the deliberations that there was first a 
> law, then it was described as a rule, then as a "guideline" that is 
> between the retailers and the credit card companies to not go snooping 
> and profiling. The level of compliance seemed to be more and more 
> watered down the harder I pushed for substantiation of the claim.
>
> I am asking that the evidence be presented if it exists at all, even 
> as a guideline.
>
> Providing details about how the [Oh, boy, I'm tempted to put a really 
> seedy example here, but I'll refrain] thief is going to pick your 
> pocket before he does it is not exactly comforting.
>
> Just because something is already barcode scanned, doesn't mean that 
> privacy protection should not be extended, does it?
My understanding is that the privacy laws are technology agnostic, so it 
equally applies to RFID, barcodes or any other technology. I have 
already assumed that privacy laws already apply to RFID application.

I appreciate you may have concerns about data-mining, but this has 
nothing to do with RFID.

The ARA guidelines ensure that Consumers are aware that products have 
embedded RFID tags, and that they can either remove or disable the RFID 
tag before the leave the shop which addresses you concern above.

The EPC standard will be adopted for retail RFID item tagging. This only 
includes a unique product identification number and an optional serial 
number. (simply consider it as a serialised barcoded). There is no 
"other" information on the tag other than identifying the product. So I 
don't understand what they are going to data-mine?

Retailers have the potential to data-mine now based on Loyalty Cards.. 
they don't need RFID.

Reg
Geoffrey Ramadan B.E.(Elec)
Chairman, Automatic Data Capture Association (www.adca.com.au)
and
Managing Director, Unique Micro Design (www.umd.com.au)