WASHINGTON-The Bush administration is moving aggressively to integrate radio-frequency identification technology into homeland security, defense and immigration policies, a posture expected to catalyze private-sector investment while inviting increased security and privacy concerns as the emerging wireless application gains traction.
The Department of Defense has embraced RFID technology to improve inventory control of military gear, an objective pursued in like fashion by retail giant Wal-Mart and others in the commercial sector. Last year the Government Accountability Office reported more than a dozen federal agencies either were deploying RFID technology or planned to do so.
But RFID has potential far beyond supply-chain management in government and industry, with applications identified-and in operation-in healthcare, agriculture, hazardous materials management, logistics and goods transport, public transport and library systems.
U.S. officials believe RFID is just as valuable for keeping track of people in the post 9/11 world, combining the capability with biometrics and other identification technologies in hopes of bettering inventory control of humans trying to move in and out of the United States.
Last week, the State Department took a big step toward implementing documentation requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative by seeking public comment on a federal rule proposing the development of an RFID-based passport for international travel by U.S. citizens through land and sea ports of entry between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The proposed passport card would use long-range, or vicinity, RFID technology to link the card to a secure U.S. government database containing biographical data and a photograph. However, according to the State Department, the card itself will not contain any personal information. The State Department added that DHS will implement protections to keep the database secure.
But government management of new identification systems has proven challenging. On Friday, GAO said DHS needs to address problems implementing the Transportation Worker Identification Credential Program. The TWIC program is based in biometric technology.
The State Department’s latest initiative builds on efforts to transition to electronic passports and the U.S. government’s war on terrorism generally. The State Department began issuing e-passports in August.
“After reviewing a number of options to provide the CBP [Customs and Border Protection] officer with appropriate personal information to facilitate the processing of travelers, we believe that the most promising technology is radio frequency technology,” the State Department stated in a Federal Register notice last Tuesday.
The State Department settled on RF vicinity reader technology over RF proximity reader technology, the former capable of being able to read passport cards up to 20 feet away and the technology of choice of the Department of Homeland Security.
The State Department explained: “DHS selected RF vicinity read technology for its border management system. To ensure compatibility and interoperability with the DHS border management system, and to secure significant travel facilitation advantages, the Department of State proposes to produce the passport carding utilizing RF vicinity read technology. The selection of the vicinity read technology for the passport card was made in an effort to ensure a seamless operational environment with DHS, and provides the infrastructure support to strengthen our national security at U.S. land borders.”
The U.S. government’s strong vote of confidence in RFID and private-sector enthusiasm over the technology has led some analysts to predict a multibillion-dollar global market for the technology in coming years. Experts suggest some of the biggest economic gains will be realized not only by companies that produce RFID chips or integrate them into products, but also by firms that incorporate the technology into management processes in order to cut costs.
Government and industry’s RFID bullishness, however, is equaled only by recurring security and privacy alarms here and overseas. Some states have attempted to legislate RFID privacy. U.S. officials and RFID proponents insist privacy fears are overblown and unjustified, but realize those concerns must be addressed if the technology is to have a chance of reaching its potential.
“DHS is very concerned about privacy,” said Robert Mocny, acting director of DHS’ US-VISIT Program, at an industry conference here last week.
Dan Caprio, president of the Progress & Freedom Foundation, agreed. “The perception of Big Brother is real among Americans,” said Caprio at the same meeting. As such, he said education is vital.
A new European Commission survey indicates that while citizens see potential benefits from RFID technology, they are leery of industry’s ability to police itself in a way that safeguards personal privacy.
“It is remarkable that only about 15 percent of the respondents thought that self-regulatory efforts by themselves will be adequate. Whereas 55 percent of the respondents think that we will have to update our legal frameworks to take account of the emergence of RFID. This lays down a clear challenge. We, the policy-makers will have to set the ground rules for ensuring the protection of citizens’ interests and for guaranteeing them a fair share of the benefits that RFID can bring,” said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for the Information Society and Media last week at a conference in Brussels.
“Why do we have to act now?” asked Reding. “We have to act now because the RFID technology is about to become very widely used. And there are tremendous potential benefits both for economy and society, in particular in Europe, where we have a strong RFID potential if we manage to create the playing field and clear rules of the game. If this requires an updating of the legal framework then I am prepared to act.”
In the United States, Federal Trade Commission officials are monitoring self-regulatory efforts of industry and have not signaled any intention of moving forward with new privacy regulations tailored to RFID technology.
