EDRI-gram: RFID-blocker wins German idea-contest

[Thomas Shaddack]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2003 16:26:40 +0100 (CET)
Subject: EDRI-gram newsletter - Number 22, 19 November 2003
From: EDRI-gram newsletter <edrigram at edri.org>
To: edri-news at edri.org

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6. RFID-DETECTOR WINS GERMAN IDEA-CONTEST
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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 Frequency Identification) are tiny computer chips with an
antenna that can be read without touching or even seeing it. These
transponders can be built into every yoghurt cup or piece of clothing. The
chips can secretly divulge information about the buyer. With these data
firms can set up profiles about the shopping behaviour and leisure
activities of their customers.

This is not a remote future. The German chain of supermarkets and
DIY-stores Metro AG already won a Big Brother Award last month for
implementing this technology.

Idea contest (winner announced 06.11.2003)
http://www.bridge-ideas.de

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