WELCOME TO A BIG MOMENT IN HISTORY?

Notags.co.uk will celebrate Radio Frequency Identification’s (RFID) ‘Big Moment in History’ with a demonstration outside a Tesco store in Sandhurst, Berkshire.

On Monday 15th September, the Auto-ID Centre is unveiling the first platform of the Electronic Product Control (EPC) network at a hotel in Chicago. Referred to by the Centre as RFID’s ‘Big Moment in History’ this network will allow computers to automatically track any man-made object that has an RFID tag inserted into it from the production line to the shelf and beyond.

The Tesco Extra store in Sandhurst is trialling RFID technology in DVD packaging. A similar trial at a store in Cambridge with Gillette products was abandoned recently after protests about the privacy implications surrounding the technology.

Notags.co.uk founder, Chris McDermott, said: “ The Auto-ID Centre’s slogan is ‘Identify any object, anywhere, automatically’ and the EPC Network is the start of the process. What they want to create is an ‘Internet of Things’ linked by RFID tags and scanners. The implications these ‘spy chips’ could have on consumer privacy are truly shocking.

At present it is not clear what will happen to the tags once someone has bought an RFID embedded product. But as manufactures and retailers are busy working on products such as washing machines and fridges that interact with the tags in the home it is pretty clear which way they want the technology to go.”

Notags.co.uk is a grass roots consumer group dedicated to stopping the pervasive use of RFID technology. They believe that a serious debate needs to take place about the privacy implications of this technology.

The demonstration will take place 5.30 pm onwards on Monday 15th September at the Tesco Extra supermarket, The Meadows, Marshall Rd, Sandhurst, Surrey