RFID Security Alliance: Walmart tagging plan is no threat to privacy

With more than 250 million RFID (radio frequency identification) tags being put into Walmart's men's basics across the retailer's 3,750 U.S. stores, the RFID Security Alliance ("RFID SA") said it has been receiving a number of inquiries from the public questioning the security and privacy of their personal information and their risks when purchasing such merchandise.

"We at the RFID SA take an active role to educate the industry and lay person of the advantages and risks associated with RFID based solutions and are deeply committed to insuring that everyone’s information remains private and secure in a well implemented RFID solution," said RFID SA chairman Michael McCartney. "In reviewing the details of this use-case we find the threat to privacy to be very low and in fact not dissimilar to that of bar codes that it is designed to replace. The removable tags are attached to the garment in the same manner as the conventional bar code tags, with a plastic or cotton loop or tie. Additionally, once removed, these tags can also be permanently disabled with a pair of scissors rendering them irrevocably unreadable so even once the tag is disposed of at the home, the tag can no longer be accessed."

Additionally, since the information, as the RFID SA understands it, is basic inventory information used to keep track of in-stock jeans and apparel items, the RFID SA seriously doubt how useful this non-personal information might be to anyone other than Walmart.