RFID under the microscope

The EU Commission intends to present its first proposals for the regulation of the use of RFID systems for debate by both parliament and council at the end of 2007. The Commission sees European legislation as the best solution. "RFID technology will only then be able to develop its economic and social advantages to the full when there are effective guarantees for compliance with data protection, safeguarding of the private sphere and related ethical aspects. These are at the heart of the debate about the public acceptability of RFID technology," according to a statement from the Commission. Viviane Reding, the commissioner with responsibility for information society and media, has long asserted that consumers should be able to feel confident that they can deactivate RFID tags to avoid any possible violation of their private sphere.