RFID (= Radio Frequency Identification), a so-called „smart“ technology, belongs to the automatic identification techniques and currently constitutes a very fast developing market. According to many studies, the future prognostics of the branch look very optimistic. Whether or not these prognostics will prove true in the future remains to be seen. What can be noticed already, however, is the fact that RFID is not only implemented in industry, manufacturing or supply-chain-management applications, but increasingly in the everyday environment of the public.
Whereas RFID is promoted as one of the most innovative and profit promising technologies in the field of business and industry, privacy activists warn the public about the dangers arising from the invasion of RFID into everyday life and call RFID-labels „Spy Chips“ or „Little Brothers“ [1]. Some even fear the decline of democratic values and the liberal constitutional state [2].
This situation led to the following questions: What actually is RFID? How does it work technically? Which applications are already implemented today? Which applications are planned for the future or will be possible? What could be chances, but also possible risks emerging from RFID? Who has influence on the ongoing development process of RFID and who will be accountable for negative outcomes?
The work is structured in two main parts. The first part deals with the definition of „smart“, an analysis of today’s promoted „smart“ objects and the scientific theory of „Ubiquitous Computing“ (= UC) as the main theory of „smart“ environments. The second part deals with RFID as a „smart“ technology, its technical background, today’s applications of RFID, possible effects on everyday life arising from potential future applications and today’s controversial discussions of different stakeholders about the issue.
The following paragraph roughly outlines the results of the analysis.
„Smart“ used as a term for describing certain characteristics of things, people or actions reveals to be very dependent on its context and is often played with because of its different meanings especially for commercial or marketing purposes. Therefore its meaning is very blurred and often not clear. Surprisingly even for the technological term „smart“ various definitions can be found. This leads to the conclusion that today „smart“ cannot and should not be used as a means of accurate definition. Therefore throughout the work „smart“ is set into quotation marks to indicate the relativity of the term or it is complemented with the addition „RFID“ in order to emphasize the special characteristics of this technology.
UC deals with „smart environments“ meaning the theory of enhancing the everyday environment with computer technology. The goal is to make information accessible from anywhere and to construct a network of things via the internet. In 1991 Mark Weiser, the „father“ of UC, expected the transition from the internet era to the UC era to take place between 2005 and 2020.3 From this point of view it is extremely interesting to take a look at one of the key technologies of UC now.
When looking at potential effects of RFID it becomes clear that the assessment of the technology is strongly tied to the kind of application it is used for. While having tremendous positive effects like even life saving functions in some medical applications, the decline of costs and optimization of processes in many economic applications or simply time saving qualities in the public transportation system, at the same time RFID constitutes a possible danger for data privacy and civil liberties.
After having evaluated the current situation, I see a danger in the reckless attitude of some operators of RFID systems toward personal data, but also in the state’s attitude based on recent government regulations and statements of the German Minister of the Interior showing a tendency of ignoring data privacy more and more in favor of stricter security laws. But on the other hand I also blame the people as well, because in recent decades a familiarization with state surveillance practices, as one focus of the work, has been noticed and a wide spread lack of critical reflection of this process as well as of the introduction of new technologies in general.
But unlike many critical articles evoking a feeling of panic, the discussion should not only be seen as a risk controversy, but above all as an essential part of the democratic system relying on the constant process of balancing common welfare and the freedom of the individual, the subjective benefits and the social costs. At this point the development process is still widely open, which is one explanation why it has become such an issue over the past couple of months.
Finally all social actors are equally involved in the process and are equally responsible for the development of a technology. These include the technical developers by setting the frame for certain using possibilities or excluding them, the designers of RFID-applications by deciding upon the interfaces and the type of interaction, the operators of RFID-systems by deciding upon the purpose of the system and the treatment of personal data and the affected people, the state as a regulatory instance, as well as society itself, whose acceptance or denial of a technology has a strong impact on the future development like activists have shown in the past for example.
FOOTNOTES
[1] CASPIAN: „How ‚spychips’ pose a threat to your privacy.“, [http://www.spychips.com/], (as at: 16.3.2005); Andersja 18.6.2004: ''Maybe it'll be Little Brother watching you'', [http://www.rfidbuzz.com/news/2004/maybe_itll_be_little_
brother_watching_you.html], (as at: 1.7.2005).
[2] Brust, Friedhelm 28.12.2004: RFID und die Arbeitswelt. [http://www.rifid.de/neu/analysen/arbeitswelt.html], [as at: 16.3.2005]
Wikpedia on RFID [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rfid] My article about RFID at STI-Studies (English) [Science, Technology & Innovation Studies] Kerstin von Locquenghien [http://www.bewegungsfrei.de] 
This summary [27KB] Entire Thesis Paper in German [1MB] Essay at STI-Studies in English [229KB][top of page]
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© 2005 | KERSTIN VON LOCQUENGHIEN
