Spam & spyware
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Major European companies into RFID-development
The European commercial interest in the development of spy-chips (RFIDs) is growing rapidly. Radio Frequency Identifiers are very small wireless chips that can be read without touching them. Intel and Siemens have just announced they will open an ‘RFID Technology Centre’ in Germany in March, near Munich. The companies wish to present ‘experience-able RFID-technology’, to […]
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EU to promote research track & trace technology
According to a new Communication on the research into security, the European Commission plans to fund research on “tagging, tracking and tracing devices … that improve the capability to locate, identify and follow the movement of mobile assets, goods and persons”. The Commission announces the launch of a new funding program entitled ‘Enhancement of the […]
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Spy-chips discovered in German loyalty cards
After a tour in the Future Store of the German Metro concern, privacy advocate Katherine Albrecht discovered spy-chips with unique numbers in the customer loyalty cards. She also found RFID tags on products sold in the store that were not completely de-activated after the purchase. Albrecht, founder of CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and […]
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RFID-blocker wins German idea-contest
The German civil rights and privacy-organisation FoeBuD is the winner of an idea-contest for a national awareness campaign about the infringement of civil liberties through new technologies. With the price of 15.000 Euro, FoeBuD wants to develop a ‘Dataprivatizer’, a tool to detect RFID’s, minuscule spy-chips that are increasingly built into consumer goods. RFID (Radio […]
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Spy-chip in all European cars?
A few days ago, the Sunday Times revealed plans from British government officials to fit all cars in Britain with personalised spy-chips. The micro-chip will automatically report a wide range of offences including speeding, road tax evasion and illegal parking. Roadside sensors will be able to monitor all private cars wherever they travel. But plans […]
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Londoners to pay extra for anonymous travelling
A new price-scheme for public transport in London puts a high price on privacy. Bus and tube tickets in central London will rise up to 25% in price from January 2004. But passengers using the Oyster smartcard will be able to travel at 2003 prices. This plastic card, fitted with a contact-less microchip (RFID), was […]
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Call for boycott of Gillette products
The US consumer group CASPIAN is calling for a boycott of Gillette products. CASPIAN is protesting against the use of Radio Frequency Identifiers (RFIDs) in Gillette products. UK supermarket chain Tesco used RFIDs in Gillette razorblades to test a controversial surveillance system that tracks and photographs customers. In EDRI-gram number 14 the test and similar […]
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Big brother in the supermarket
The UK supermarket chain Tesco has confirmed that it is testing a controversial surveillance system that tracks customers in one of their stores in Cambridge. Anyone buying certain products will have their picture taken. Twice. The system uses Radio Frequency Identifiers (RFIDs) to trigger CCTV cameras to take a picture of the customer. In the […]
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RFID developers aim to neutralise opposition
Developers of Radio Frequency Identification (RFIDs) are making plans to ‘neutralize opposition’ to their new technology. The strategy is discussed in confidential documents from the Auto-ID Center, in which RFID developers work together. The documents were uncovered by Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (CASPIAN) through a security glitch on the Auto-ID Center’ website. […]
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Radio chips in euro banknotes
Japanese electronics maker Hitachi has told the Japanese press that it has started talks with the European Central Bank (ECB) about the use of RFIDs in euro banknotes. RFIDs (radio frequency identification) are very small radio chips that transmit a unique serial code when a reader is placed in their proximity. RFID were originally designed […]
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German supermarket announces introduction of RFIDs
Last month, during a congress on supermarket logistics, German supermarket Metro AG announced the introduction of RFIDs to boost store efficiency and eliminate long checkout queues. The announcement comes at a time of heightened public awareness of the negative privacy-implications of this new track & trace technology. In March, clothing designer Benetton announced plans to […]
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