Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

Libraries, schools, the government, and private sector businesses are adopting radio frequency identification tags, or RFIDs — a technology that can be used to pinpoint the physical location of whatever item the tags are embedded in. While RFIDs are a convenient way to track items, they are also a convenient way to do something far less benign: track people and their activities through their belongings. EFF is working to prevent the embrace of this technology from eroding privacy and freedom.

Identity Information Protection Act
The Identity Information Protection Act is a California bill that seeks to protect your privacy from covert scanning. The bill has been re-introduced as SB 30 [PDF] (previously SB 768) -- read SB 30 Fact Sheet, SB 30 Myths & Facts for more.

RFID in Identification Cards

• Keep RFIDs Out of California IDs!

• DeepLinks Post: California Senate Clears Groundbreaking RFID Bill May 24, 2007
• EFF's letter to the State Department regarding RFIDs in passports [PDF, 284K] April 4, 2005
• Open Letter to the ICAO [PDF]. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) wants to embed RFIDs in your passport, along with so-called biometric identifiers such as fingerprints. Privacy International, the EFF and the ACLU drafted this response. (March 20, 2004)

RFID in Libraries and Schools

• Keep RFIDS Out of Public Schools February, 2005
• Stop RFIDs in California Libraries! February, 2005
• Stop the deployment of RFID technology in the San Francisco Public Library! July, 2004

• Privacy and Security in Library RFID Issues, Practices, and Architectures [PDF, 200K] Feb 4, 2005
• Three letters (dated June 23, 2004 [PDF, 293k], July 1, 2004 [PDF, 412k] and July 16, 2004 [PDF, 164k]) from EFF to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors stating opposition to RFID deployment at the SF Public Library.
• Letter from the ACLU [PDF, 14k] to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors stating opposition to RFID deployment at the SF Public Library. (June 30, 2004)
• EFF Comments to San Francisco Public Library (October 1, 2003)

RFID in Consumer Products

• RFID Policy One-Sheet: What Does Congress Need to Know? [PDF, 64K] March, 2005
• RFID PowerPoint Presentation [PPT, 204K] Feb 4, 2005
• Position Statement on the Use of RFID on Consumer Products (November 14, 2003)

Other Resources

• DoD Announces Radio Frequency Identification Policy. United States Department of Defense News Releases, No. 775-03 (October 23, 2003)
• Wal-Mart Details RFID Requirement, RFID Journal (November 6, 2003)
• Active and Passive RFID [PDF]. Auto-ID Center White Paper (2002)
  Note that a similar document can be found here (PDF)
• Jean V. Murphy, Get Ready! Wal-Mart Mandate Puts RFID, Smart Tags On Fast Track. Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategies, SupplyChainBrain.com (September 2003)
• Vendors to Offer Global Tracking. RFID Journal (June 14, 2002)