Canadian Commissioner announces RFID guidelines.Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian Ann Cavoukian is the current Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Canadian province of Ontario. Ann Cavoukian took a B.A. at York University in Toronto and then received an M.A. and Ph.D. recently released privacy guidelines aimed at protecting Canadians' privacy for the use of radio frequency identification See RFID. (RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) A data collection technology that uses electronic tags for storing data. The tag, also known as an "electronic label," "transponder" or "code plate," is made up of an RFID chip attached to an antenna. ) technology. Cavouldan first identified the potential privacy concerns raised by RFID technology in 2003. "These made-in-Canada Guidelines provide guidance and solutions regarding item-level consumer RFID applications and uses," she said. EPCglobal Canada, an industry association that sets standards for electronic product codes, worked with the Information and Privacy Commission (IPC (1) (InterProcess Communication) The exchange of data between one program and another either within the same computer or over a network. It implies a protocol that guarantees a response to a request. ) to develop the guidelines and will ask its member companies to endorse them. RFID tags An electronic identification device that is made up of a chip and antenna. For reusable applications, it is typically embedded in a plastic housing, and for tracking shipments, it is usually part of a "smart" packaging label. are considered high-tech barcodes. They contain microchips and tiny radio antennas that can be attached to almost any product. The tags transmit a unique identifying number to an electronic reader, which communicates with a database that stores information about the item. RFID tags, which can be quickly and easily read from several hundred feet away, are helpful to retailers managing inventory but potentially threatening to individuals' privacy. Although RFID technology deployed in the supply chain management process poses little risk to privacy, item-level use of RFID tags in retail stores, if they are connected to personally identifiable information In information security and privacy, personally identifiable information or personally identifying information (PII) is any piece of information which can potentially be used to uniquely identify, contact, or locate a single person. , can enable the tracking and surveillance of individuals. Cavoukian is also releasing a companion piece, "Practical Tips for Implementing RFID Privacy Guidelines," to help organizations put the guidelines into practice. |
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