A handful of technology and consumer privacy experts testifying at a California senate hearing on Monday called for regulation of a controversial technology that's designed to wirelessly monitor everything from clothing to currency.
Gillette has dismissed complaints by privacy groups that the company plans to use smart tags in its products to track and photograph shoppers.
Sun Microsystems will open a facility in Europe where companies can test their radio frequency identification systems.
Manufacturers and a key industry group expect to introduce a kill switch for controversial radio frequency identification tags before the inventory-tracking chips are shipped in products to retail shelves.
A key patent holder's demand for royalties has triggered concerns that promising RFID technology could become embroiled in an intellectual-property battle.
Companies are rushing to get to grips with the possibilities presented by RFID technology, without stopping to consider the pitfalls and the limitations, the Meta Group warned. Additional reading: Process Improvement tips
Retail powerhouses such as Wal-Mart gather in the United States to push development of controversial tagging technology.
Will corporate leaders broadly adopt the draconian measures in this cautionary tale? Not likely. But once RFID sensors are smart, cheap and pervasive, the potential for abuse will be significant.
Radio frequency identification has the potential to revolutionise supply chains of retailers the world over. However, for a 20-year-old technology, it still has significant teething problems.
A key patent holder's demand for royalties has triggered concerns that promising RFID technology could become embroiled in an intellectual-property battle.
Retailers may love the concept of tiny radio tags for tracking products, but consumers should beware the potential for exploitation by corporations, criminals and the government.
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