|
Although RFID technology offers many benefits for manufacturers such as real-time asset tracking and monitoring, these same characteristics are sometimes perceived as a threat to consumer privacy. For example, while tracking people’s whereabouts saves lives in hazardous environments, being able to look up the location of employees in an office building may be judged as intrusive. The basic privacy concerns associated with an RFID system is the ability to track people ubiquitously without their consent.
While technological advances result from the best of intentions, there is always the possibility of abuse. It is society’s responsibility to make sure that there is no ethical infringement on people’s lives, and that its citizens remain informed of the dangers as well as the benefits of RFID. The resulting watchdog groups are numerous and easily found on the web.
However, as with all information found on the internet, one must examine everything with a critical mind to avoid forming wrong conclusions.
|