Laws May Require RFID Notification

By George Anderson

The states of Utah and Missouri are currently considering legislation that would require that consumers be notified if a package or product they purchased contained a radio frequency
identification (RFID) tag.

Rep. David L. Hogue (R-District 52) sponsored a bill in Utah known as the Radio Frequency Identification Right to Know Act (H.B. 251). It would require all retailers in Utah
using RFID tags to notify customers they were carrying the technology.

Rep. Hogue told RFID Journal the bill was not voted on in the last session after amendments were added to address the concerns of retailers. He expects the revised bill
to be reintroduced for consideration by the state’s legislators during the summer.

“My initial concern was to alert the public that these things are there,” he said. “Right now there are no controls. Nothing’s in place to protect individuals’ right to privacy.”

The Missouri legislation, the RFID Right to Know Act of 2004 (S.B. 867) sponsored by State Sen. Maida Coleman (D-District 5), is currently before that state’s Senate. State Sen.
Coleman’s bill would require “that the consumer commodity or package contains or bears a radio frequency identification tag, and that the tag can transmit unique identification
information to an independent reader both before and after purchase.”

Moderator’s Comment: Are laws needed to protect the privacy of consumers by notifying them when they have a product
or package containing a RFID tag?

Note to Sun Microsystems head honcho Scott McNealy: It would appear many are still unwilling to get over an invasion of their privacy.
George
Anderson – Moderator

BrainTrust

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