Privacy Conversation
Sen. Debra Bowen explains why she believes it’s not too early to legislate how RFID technology can be used in retail stores.
California State Senator Debra Bowen (D-Redondo Beach) is a leading advocate of preemptive legislation to control the use of RFID technology. Her main goal, she says, is to prevent retailers invading people’s privacy, while enabling companies to achieve supply chain efficiencies from the technology. Bowen introduced legislation in the California Senate in March. A month later, the body approved an amended bill on a 22–8 vote. At press time, it was about to be
considered by the state’s Assembly. In an e-mail exchange with Mark Roberti, the editor of RFID Journal, Bowen explained her position.
RFID Journal: When there are real and present dangers to consumer privacy, why focus on RFID?
Bowen: Waiting for a problem to develop before setting standards prompts the argument that “we already have all of this infrastructure in place, and it’s too expensive to change now.” Government limits on new technologies have typically come after personal privacy and security have become a problem, after people have had their identities stolen or their credit card numbers ripped off or their privacy invaded. It’s much better and much cheaper to address the social and ethical implications of emerging technologies in a systematic way early on, so government isn’t constantly running to catch up—for example, by passing laws dealing with identity theft and fraud on the Internet.
RFID Journal: What specific threat does RFID pose to consumer privacy?
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RFID Journal: When there are real and present dangers to consumer privacy, why focus on RFID?
Bowen: Waiting for a problem to develop before setting standards prompts the argument that “we already have all of this infrastructure in place, and it’s too expensive to change now.” Government limits on new technologies have typically come after personal privacy and security have become a problem, after people have had their identities stolen or their credit card numbers ripped off or their privacy invaded. It’s much better and much cheaper to address the social and ethical implications of emerging technologies in a systematic way early on, so government isn’t constantly running to catch up—for example, by passing laws dealing with identity theft and fraud on the Internet.
RFID Journal: What specific threat does RFID pose to consumer privacy?
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