PCPD News Issue 30

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PCPD News 私隱專員公署通訊 • Issue no. 30
Hence, it is possible for someone
to read from, or write to, an RFID
tag without being noticed.
• Open Standards
The majority of RFID tags for
p r oduc t s c a r r y an E l e c t r on i c
Product Code (EPC), which is a
standard product code that allows
anyone t o ea s i l y l ook up t he
product the tag is attached to. It is
therefore possible to use an RFID
reader to scan and find out what
a person is wearing or carrying,
including the size and brand of
c l o t he s , med i ca t i on package ,
book, etc. in order to understand
the individual’s health condition,
personal preference etc.
It is important to note that RFID tags
typically used for item labelling have
a working range of 1 to 4 metres, so
tags can be read from a relatively long
distance. Coupled with the possible
information stored in the chip (unique
identifier, product information, etc.),
if the chips are left on the purchased
products after the point of sale, they
pose the following privacy threats.
• Position Traceability
Each tag has a unique manufacturing
identifier. If i t i s po s s i b l e t o
associate such an identifier to
a specific person, it is also be
possible to track the person’s
position by reading the tag on a
T-shirt, for example, at different
locations.
• Information Leakage
I t i s po s s i b l e t o ga t he r s ome
i n f o r ma t i o n a b o u t p e o p l e ’s
belongings simply by reading the
tags embedded in the items they
carry, such as a passport, book,
watch or medicine package. It
would then be easy to further infer
their personal preferences, health
status or even political beliefs.
If no privacy impact assessment is
carried out, RFID tags present possible
privacy threats to consumers. The
following countermeasures to prevent
privacy abuse from the use of RFID
tags, especially in the retail sector, are
recommended.
• Design tags which are not easily
readable by scanners in normal
situations and have to be allowed
o r r e ve a l e d by t h e owne r o f
the objects before they can be
scanned, so that tags can operate
a f t e r t he po i n t o f s a l e , wh i l e
privacy is preserved.
• Disable or remove tags, or offer
to consumer such choices, after
the items they were attached to or
embedded in are sold.
• Store a reference number instead
of personal data on RFID chips.
• Be transparent about the use,
particularly when the use is not
limited to logistical controls, of
RFID tags.
• Sh i e l d l i f e l ong RF IDs aga i ns t
covert readers to avoid reading of
tags without the knowledge of the
owner.
• When appropriate, use encryption
to protect information that must be
left on merchandise.
科技新知
Technology Updates
資料來源 Sources：
“RFID Tag Privacy Threats and Countermeasures: Current Status”, European Commission, Joint Research Centre – Institute for
the Protection and Security of the Citizen