Privacy Experts Cry Foul Over Wal-mart’s Plan to Use Embedded Rfid
Published by Wal-Mart is apparently planning on using smart tags (RFID -radio frequency identification)to better keep track of their inventory. Wal-Mart previously used these tags on the pallets used to transported their products.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the smart tags will be embedded in the individual items on the shelves starting next month. The theory being that a worker could quickly check the stock of an item by scanning the tag, which would allow better management of inventory. The smart tag would also supposedly lessen employee theft by allowing tracking of the items throughout the store.
Sounds benign, right? Maybe not! Privacy experts are concerned that the merchandise will not be the only thing tracked. For example, Katherine Albrecht, the director of Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering and author of the book “Spychips,” voiced her concerns to USA Today. She is specifically concerned that Wal-Mart could read personal information off of the RFID-equipped driver’s license’s that some states have adopted. The personal info (name, address, age, etc..) could then be combined with that person’s purchases in order for Wal-Mart to see what different people are opting to buy. That would be a corporate marketers wet dream.
A second concern is that the tracking may reach beyond the store walls. Unlike the electronic anti-theft devices that many stores place on their clothes, RFID is embedded. This means it will not be removed during the purchase, and will remain active after you leave Wal-Mart. Even if you remove the RFID in the price tag or clothing tag when you get home and trash it, the RFID is still active. In theory, anyone with a scanner could just scan your garbage to know what you have purchased. Criminals would not have to actually open your garbage or steal it, they could ride past the curb with a scanner and know that you just bought an expensive item.
I am very interested to know what consumers and Wal-Mart patrons think about RFID being embedded and carried home with you? Is this much ado about nothing or a legitimate cause for concern?
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On July 28, 2010 at 5:35 pm
We will have to tear the tags off before we leave the store.
On July 29, 2010 at 9:19 am
I think I’ll hold my opinion until more is known about this plan. People tend to jump to conclusions-usually the incorrect ones- before they get all the facts.
On July 29, 2010 at 8:34 pm
Privacy is under invasion than it was never before.
On July 29, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Great article. Besides being well written, it is informative. My state doesn’t do that to our drivers liscenses. Still, I am not going to worry about it. If anybody would be nervous about it in my family, it would be my daughter. But she has chosen not to drive because she is too nervos. Her grandmother had one but never drove once after the test.
On July 30, 2010 at 1:15 am
good article
On July 30, 2010 at 2:56 am
Nice pictures, Beautiful, interesting, I love this article! good luck in business! Best Regards, Gigi.
On July 30, 2010 at 4:31 pm
this is only the beginning…soon we will not be able to purchase items with cash….the bible calls it the mark of the beast. i think walmart is a beast already.
how many devices to you think you already bring home with you?
be concerned. don’t be scared…because fear does nothing but create more fear and scared people do stupid things.
come on ….didn’t anyone watch zeitgeist?
On July 31, 2010 at 8:27 am
They probably will have a scanner in the by the register to deactivate it upon time of purchase, just like what they have been doing with electronics for years.
On July 31, 2010 at 9:54 am
as far as people freaking out that their drivers license links to what they buy, that is laughable, people have savings cards for other stores that do the same thing already. Dont people realize that cards for stores that offer discounts when you use the cards are used by the store to keep track of what you buy?
If you start buying diapers, they know you have a kid.. and so on.
If people dont like it, dont shop at Wal Mart, very simply put NOBODY is forced to shop at Wal Mart, and if WalMart is the only shop left in town its because the shoppers stopped supporting the local stores – so its their own fault.
On July 31, 2010 at 10:29 am
Did not know the chip was up to so many tricks. Interesting.
On July 31, 2010 at 3:10 pm
profiling is the name of the game. It started with people now we are using technology to do it. Privacy? Ha! a foreign concept in today’s wired world.
On July 31, 2010 at 11:26 pm
RFID chips are already being used in many place – you just don’t know it. Studied it in college.
On August 1, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Charge Cars, Special Privilage Cards, and recipts are tracking our purchases every day. So what’s one little chip? As it was already said, they will more than likely be deactivated at the register and will never again be tracked. The world doesn’t need to be so paranoid. This is technology, and it changes.
On August 1, 2010 at 9:06 pm
That would be bad for Wal-Mart.
On August 2, 2010 at 8:42 am
Sounds like a bit of a conspiracy theory. As one commenter stated, companies already know what you buy when you use a credit card. RFID has been in use for inventory management for decades, it saves the company money by not having to count every box on the shelf to see when they need to restock. It is also used to track packages in transit.
On August 2, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Well, I’ve always been told that Wal Mart is an evil corporation. I just recently got a job at wal mart and everyone is right!!! We are 72 days accident free and they brag about it…but i’ve witnessed 3 accidents. Low and behold those 3 employees were fired the next day before they could even get medical attention under Wal Marts name. It is as evil as anyone says it to be. We are remodeling the store right now, and the customers are supposed to be #1, but of course the only reason we are supposed to help them is to try and get them to buy the wal mart brand product instead of name brand. Therefore, I believe Wal Mart will abuse their rights with the RFID’s, just based on my experiences so far.
On August 4, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Thanks for the warning. I’ll only buy cheap things at Wal-mart form now on.