RFID: Education is More Than Explaining the Technology
Thursday, November 15, 2007 - RFID Connections
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Editor
No matter where you are in the RFID ecosystem -- a company using or considering using the technology, a legislator or member of a public policy committee, or a consumer with concerns about the incursion of RFID into everyday life -- understanding the different versions of the technology is only one part of the process. As the technology improves and expands, so too do potential applications, policies and best practices. Keeping abreast of these activities is a critical aspect of truly understanding RFID.
Despite the efforts of AIM Global, EPCglobal and others, it is clear that more needs to be done to expand awareness of these activities. For example, it has been recently reported that there is a project proposal from the Center for Information Policy Leadership (part of the Privacy and Information practice of a law firm) to come up with some requirements and specifications for a universal symbol identifying the presence of an RFID tag that would be applicable globally across all industries. As last week's Viewpoint by
This message is not getting broad enough circulation and begs us to ask some important questions.
Because we live in an information-rich society that can be instantly connected via the Internet we tend to believe that those who should have access to information actually do access it or know where to look. Clearly, that's not the case.
Part of the problem appears to be that some of the individuals and organizations getting involved in the RFID arena -- as advisors or potential policy-setters -- are not really involved with RFID in any meaningful way. They may be corporate officers, law firms, consultants or other service providers who hear the concerns of the consumer and recognize the need to address them. While some of these organizations may be tuned into the full spectrum of RFID activities, others clearly are not.
From a naïve perspective, then, it's easy to identify issues that need to be addressed. The problem is that many of these issues have already been addressed by the industry. Thus, the well-intended declarations and activities of potential policy-makers serve only to confuse the issue and may mislead both the public and corporate and government regulators.
Further, comments by respected individuals may be reported out of context or quoted without the underlying context that is assumed by the speaker. A recent call by a corporate privacy officer for a "universal symbol" for RFID, for example, appears to be suggesting that there is a need to create such a symbol. However, the speaker is aware of both the AIM RFID Emblem and the EPCglobal Seal. Taken in that context, the comment appears to have been a call for all companies to officially embrace labeling of RFID tags, not a call to create something new. But even an educated reader could be misled by the comment as reported.
To facilitate understanding of both the technical and non-technical issues related to RFID among the public and mainstream media, AIM Global has launched an outreach initiativeto educate the public and general press about RFID. This initiative is in addition to current AIM Global activities within the RFID Experts Group (REG) to develop guidelines and best practices and provide education with the help of our Education and Public Policy Committee through "RFID Connections" and other avenues.
However, for the message to truly get out, it will take a concerted effort on the part of the entire RFID community to pass along articles of interest to colleagues and others who might have an influence on RFID policy. For those who have contacts within organizations that are considering developing RFID policies, it's important to make sure they are aware of the activities, policies and publications of both AIM Global and EPCglobal.
What more can we do? Please send us your thoughts.
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Comments on this column? E-mail me: Bert Moore, Editor
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