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Fears over Big Brother-style surveillance have prompted the European Commission to invite citizens to air their concerns about RFID – radio frequency identification devices. Anyone with an interest in the nascent technology is invited to say whether Europe needs a unified policy that encourages adoption, while also protecting consumers’ basic rights. Concerns centre on personal privacy, security and the rights of consumers to retain control of their data, according to business and trade groups speaking in Commission-held workshops. They stressed the “economic potential” and the ‘boost to competitiveness’ RFID could offer businesses, but said commercial gain should not be at the expense of the “wider public good.” The stakeholders have also expressed concerns about interoperability, international compatibility, radio spectrum allocation, and the future of RFID technology. “We need to build a society-wide consensus on the future of RFID,” said Viviane Reding, information society and media commissioner. “We need to ensure that RFID technology delivers on its economic potential and to create the right opportunities for its use for the wider public good, while ensuring that citizens remain in control of their data.” Workshop discussions and views sent to the Commission via the ‘Your Voice in Europe’, website will be formally discussed at a meeting of decision-makers and experts in October. Their conclusions will be sent to the European Parliament and Council, with an answer as to whether, and to what extent, an RFID policy needs to be introduced to cover both business and citizens. Jul 6, 2006 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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