Wal-Mart To Throw Its Weight Behind RFID

from the that's-a-big-one dept

With all the talk about whether or not retailers would adopt RFID tags, there was always a question of when a major retailer would adopt them. Well, wait no longer. Wal-Mart is planning to announce next week that they're adopting RFID in a big way. They plan to use RFID tags throughout their business within two years. With Wal-Mart throwing their weight behind the technology, you can bet that many other retailers will quickly follow. Of course, what hasn't been answered (and isn't addressed in the article at all) is how Wal-Mart plans to deal with the privacy issues associated with RFID tags. While there's been some talk of adding a kill switch to the tags, it's unclear if that's going to be adopted.
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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 6 Jun 2003 @ 4:14am

    Luciferian sects of RFID

    What if someone invents urban legends about RFID:

    - causing cancer?

    - being surveillance devices made by the CIA that tracks people?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    libertas, 6 Jun 2003 @ 7:08am

    RFID hacking

    If the world is going to be swimming in rfid tags. I assume that readers are going to become commodity priced. Seems like it's time to start a meme about creative aftermarket uses of rfid tags.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    False Prophet, 6 Jun 2003 @ 7:46am

    Yay!

    Another way for Wal-Mart to nose further into society! But this time, instead of taking over the small business part, they'll just take out the middle man and come right into your house. Yet another reason you shouldn't shop at Wal-Mart.

    fp

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anon, 22 Aug 2003 @ 2:53pm

      Re: 666 The Number of the beast

      Short time before the mark is on our skin.

      Its a pity cause I love wal-mart.

      Also you know law enforcement will have access if not co-located facilities to monitor all their rfid tags.

      I assume that all the stores will have some kind of client/server that relays it to some central database at HQ, the goverment will be located at each corporate HQ thus making it invisible to all customers and all but the highest company officers and engineers.

      The gov has monitoring station in every major telecom company. One of the places I worked had a goverment GPS system that they installed and maintained and we just monitored for errors.

      There really is no such thing as privacy anymore.

      The Mark will come soon..and anyone who wont take it..they will know where you are 247..plus all the rest of the Drones

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    jeff, 6 Jun 2003 @ 8:32am

    privacy doesn't apply

    while they will no doubt move to chipping individual packages, the initial phase of this plan calls for putting the chips in cases and pallets, therefore privacy concerns don't apply.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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