The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • National

    VAN CLEAVE: A Thanksgiving message from Russia's spy agency

  • National

    HOLMES: Behind Obama's overseas allure

  • World

    Thailand seeks U.S. help battling insurgents

  • Politics

    Obama taking emissions goal to summit

  • Business

    Retailers bank on post-holiday Black Friday

  • World

    Corruption stain puts Pakistan leader at risk

  • Politics

    Courage the turkey escapes Obama's plate

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

High-tech tracking devices raise concerns on privacy

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Swiss court grants Polanski bail
  • Couple skirts security to crash state dinner
  • Courage the turkey escapes Obama's plate
  • Taliban chief rejects talks with Karzai government

By

Wal-Mart's plan to track shipments from its suppliers to its stores using high-tech tags will go into effect Saturday.

More than 100 suppliers will adhere to Wal-Mart's mandate to place radio frequency identification -- or RFID -- tags on cases and pallets going to 150 Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores in northern Texas and south-central Oklahoma.

"They're ready, we're ready; there is no need to wait," said Carolyn Walton, vice president for Wal-Mart's Information Systems Division. "I sometimes get the feeling that people think we are going to flip some gigantic switch on January 1st and tagged cases and pallets will appear from more than 100 suppliers."

The suppliers have been upgrading their systems gradually to comply with Wal-Mart's mandate since the retailer announced its plans in June 2003. In April, Wal-Mart started the pilot program with eight suppliers, one distribution center and seven stores in Texas.

Many of the suppliers won't be tagging everything they send to the three distribution centers next month, but Wal-Mart officials say the participation it is receiving is a good start. The mega-retailer plans to expand the technology to more stores in other markets next year.

Wal-Mart, as the world's largest retailer, is in a powerful position to drive the technology into widespread use. The industry is watching and waiting to see whether the program is a success and whether it will need to scramble to catch up. Other retailers, such as Target and Albertson's in the United States and Metro and Tesco in Europe, also have been testing RFID technology.

But privacy advocates are concerned the technology will open the door to allow retailers to "follow" merchandise from the store shelf into a customer's home.

"What Wal-Mart's involvement has done is make this technology real," said Katherine Albrecht, founder and director of Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (CASPIAN), an industry watchdog group. "These corporations using RFID are playing with a dangerous technology. It has the potential to eradicate our privacy."

The tags use the same technology found in the E-ZPass, which allows motorists to go through tolls, and "smart ID" cards, which give employees access to their offices. The airline industry is considering tagging to reduce the amount of lost luggage.

The technology allows retailers and other businesses to track items wirelessly through radio signals.

123Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
  3. Fenty trails Gray in D.C. poll
  4. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds
  5. Food snobs fork over $225 for taste of heritage turkey
More Top Stories »
  1. D.C. sports icon, Wizards owner Pollin dies
  2. List of W.H. state dinner guests
  3. PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
  4. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  5. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general

Most Shared

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  3. EDITORIAL: Kennedy vs. Catholicism
  4. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  5. 'Boutique' patients pay for better access to doctors
More Top Stories »
  1. PULLEN: GOP came unmoored in last decade – it hurt
  2. Ego of 'O': It's all about him
  3. The United Socialist States of America
  4. The global-cooling cover-up
  5. Ky. hanging, ruled a suicide, leaves bloggers at loss for words

Most Commented

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
  3. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  4. Conservatives seek test for RNC funds
  5. PRUDEN: Obama's due process doctrine
More Top Stories »
  1. Ky. hanging, ruled a suicide, leaves bloggers at loss for words
  2. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  3. A-listers, fundraisers at W.H. state dinner
  4. EDITORIAL: Terrorists use Democratic talking points
  5. EDITORIAL: Kennedy vs. Catholicism

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Gray coy about job

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.