EU Commissioner Ready To Draft Control Laws For RFID Tags

Oct. 16, 2006
Benefits acknowledged, but risks must be contained.

After a six-month study of RFID tags, the EU Information Society Commissioner, Viviane Reding, said she is ready to draft control laws based on the myriad of feedback she received. According to a BBC report, Reding said that citizens needed re-assuring that radio tags would not lead to large-scale surveillance.

"The large majority are willing to be convinced that RFID can bring benefits but they want to be reassured that it will not compromise their privacy," said Reding. "This is the deal that we have to strike if we want RFID to be accepted and widely taken up. The consultation shows that people are mainly afraid of losing control, of not being able to choose when and how they are exposed to risks," she said.

Of the 2,190 organizations and individuals who took part in the survey, only 15% felt that industry would do a good job of regulating itself. Consequently, 55% said that laws should be changed to ensure that the information collected from these tags would not be used incorrectly. Many expressed the wish to be able to destroy the tags if necessary.

It is expected that the new laws will be drafted next year.

Interested in information related to this topic? Subscribe to our weekly RFID eNewsletter.

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!