EU Asks Citizen Input on RFID

European citizens may have the chance to help shape legislation on how RFID tags will be used for commercial purposes in Europe. A year-long consultation on citizen reaction to RFID done by the European Commission resulted in the group announcing at CeBIT that it will back out of regulating RFID use itself and instead will allow stakeholders to make decisions about further regulation. This will involve putting together a group of citizens, scientists, data protection experts, and businesses to discuss the use of the tags and assist the Commission in determining whether further regulation is needed.

The tags are already in use at some retail stores in Europe, which has helped businesses streamline shipping and stock information. But unsurprisingly, there are some concerns over privacy. Few people want to be scanned by a random stranger after walking out of a grocery store and being caught with a beef brisket and a 64 oz. bottle of lube in their bags. Some stores, such as German retailer Metro, are trying to take some of these concerns into account by allowing customers to deactivate the tags upon checkout.

However, Commissioner Viviane Reding was careful to emphasize at CeBIT that over-regulation might stunt Europe's growth in this area. She said that RFID tags had already generated €500 million in revenue in Europe and the market is expected to grow to over €7 billion within the next ten years. "There will be no new regulations, but we will clarify how existing regulations apply to the technology," she announced.