Applications of RFID Are Becoming Numerous And Endless But at What Cost to Personal Privacy And Security?

The applications of RFID, otherwise known as Radio Frequency Identification, are virtually endless and limited only by the imagination of users of this technology.

Radio Frequency Identification is a broad term that defines a system of technology that can transmit the unique identity of an object by using wireless radio waves.

RFID is already being used around the world by many companies and manufacturers as a way of keeping track of inventory and goods.

There is a lot of attention on RFID right now by the media and the IT industry, as well as by the analysts who are studying the impacts of Radio Frequency Identification on people and on the environment.

Throughout the years the collecting and storing of information and data has come a long way, all the way from paper systems to computer data entry to putting data into bar codes.

And now along comes Radio Frequency Identification that has the technology to track, collect, and store information about both objects and people.

RFID has actually been around since WW II when it was used by the military to track planes, however the cost of producing this advanced technology meant it wasn’t cost effective for companies and manufacturers to use.

Now that Radio Frequency Identification technology has become more affordable, the ability to store data on tags will become too advantageous and profitable for most companies to ignore.

The endless applications of RFID will continue to grow as its technology becomes even more advanced over the coming years.

Common RFID Applications

There are some common RFID applications that are already in use around the world by many companies and manufacturers.

For instance, automotive makers have been using Radio Frequency Identification technology in anti-theft immobilizers.

Many retailers, such as BestBuy and WalMart, use RFID to keep inventory in their stores at its best levels.

As well, using RFID moves people through the checkouts much faster and lowers shoplifting statistics.

Some other common applications of RFID include.

• Producers and ranchers of livestock are using RFID to ensure they are
• meeting regulations for export.
  
• Tracking wild animals in ecological studies.
  
• Tagging pets so they can be found by their owners.
  
• Libraries can keep materials in circulation more efficiently and
• reduce theft.
  
• Pharmacies and hospitals maintain accountability of drugs.

RFID in Healthcare

Every year in the United States alone thousands of people are killed due to medical errors.

In the near future, applications of RFID can be used in conjunction with software to sound an alert to nurses and doctors if there are any problems.

For instance a company in the United Kingdom, Innovision Research and Technology, is developing minute RFID tags that will be placed onto medical equipment, such as tubes and catheters.

Software would know the ID of both the tube and catheter that match up together.

In the event that a nurse attempts to put the wrong tube into a catheter, an alarm would sound.

Radio Frequency Identification can also be used to warn doctors if they are about to use surgical equipment that hasn’t been sterilized.

This alone would significantly reduce the number of incidents of infection that are surgery related.

Further in the future, RFID could be used to warn nurses if they are about to give medication to a patient who is allergic to it.

RFID Privacy Concerns

Although it certainly is exciting that so many applications of RFID are just around the corner, societies as a whole need to take into account the privacy concerns and issues of this new technology.

In 2005 the Government Accountability Office did a study that provided a summary of Radio Frequency Identification technology. Both privacy and security issues were discussed.

The GAO raised privacy concerns about letting people know when RFID tags were being used so they would be aware that the product they would be buying has been tagged.

This also raises the issue of RFID being used to track a person’s movements, which leads to information about their buying habits and their preferences.

All this information would be kept in massive databases and even though technological security is becoming tighter and better, if there’s information to be stolen a hacker will always find a way to get in.

Issues of integrity and confidentiality will be looked at much more deeply when RFID becomes more widely used.

Many governments and companies will overlook the principles of privacy as they focus on the cost and time saving efficiency of using Radio Frequency Identification technology.