Papers

Reference #: ITRI-WP113-0608 Date: June 4, 2008

The Politics of RFID – The Issues

Abstract:

RFID technology is beginning to enter the political arena. In 2006, seventeen states considered RFID-related legislation, and the European Union created a commission to make recommendations on possible future regulation. As with all new technologies that hold widespread implications for the way we do business and live our lives, it will be perceived by some as a helpful addition to the toolbox of social technologies that permit us to become more efficient and by others as a threat to values and entitlements that are dearly held. And as with all such issues that touch intimately on our lives, it will end up in the political arena. The purpose of this paper is not focused on the technology of RFID, but the political issues and their ramifications.