RFID: Silence Of The Chips

The Commission will be investigating whether or not an

individual has the right to disappear from the ever-more pervasive

technology and e-networks that surround us. The Commission's

concerns also include the privacy implications of

personally-identifying technologies, citing RFID chips as one such

example. It is thought that the debate will look at the technical

and legal aspects of what the Commission refers to as the right to

'silence' the chips.

The Commission is not alone in raising this question. Several

commentators have also raised views about this concept expressing

the idea that individuals should be able to disconnect from their

networked environment at any time.

The Commission's consultation will form part of a wider plan

published by the Commission outlining how it will create

legislation to regulate what it refers to as the 'internet of

things'. This looks to the increasing automatic communication

between technology, devices and tags...