E-Seals for container security

E-Seals advantages over mechanical seals Can be checked by –automatic systems –unqualified personal Lowers probability of human errors when checked by electronic readers More difficult to tamper with Part of complete container surveillance system Are quite mature and based on proven technology

Inconveniences to use E-Seals Lack of standards –Communication frequencies –Communication tools –Reader infrastructure –Tamper detection methods Existing E-seals use frequencies not allowed worldwide (and not reserved for this purpose) => can be refused in certain countries Sealing is not the only aspect of container security problem => seal indicates ONLY a conventional attempt to open the container

RFID and privacy protection Some personal random press clippings from the internet

RFID chips on kids makes Legoland safer Children entering the parks will be fitted with an RFID bracelet that can be tracked anywhere within its boundaries - meaning that should they run off and find themselves lost, the parks' staff will easily be able to track them down and alert parents via SMS. Leo Steiner, vice president for on-demand sales at IBM, who works closely with RFID, said: "Lego will now know exactly where each customer is, how long they are spending in each area and which products are proving to be most popular." Source:

Consumer council warns of backlash against tracking tags The National Consumer Council (NCC) has called on government and businesses to put privacy at the heart of RFID technology or risk a consumer backlash that could set back adoption of the technology. The NCC believes that RFID technology will pose significant challenges to consumer privacy, unless concerted action is taken now," the report says. "Privacy-protection must be built into the technology and its applications and must not be seen as an add-on luxury." Source:

Tom Toles on implanted RFID Source:

RFID People, Animals and Things RFID implantations for pets has been commonplace for years, with the "mad cow" disease outbreak last year the technology is being used to keep up with livestock. Now that the FDA has approved the technology for implantation in humans the debate about the privacy implications has begun. Will health insurance companies, life insurance companies, seek to require the technology to determine the insurance risk of clients? Will credit card companies seek to remove the need for cards and replace them with RFID imbedded technology. Could access to social benefits like social security, Medicare, and food stamps be tied to the use of RFID implanted technology to monitor clients and dispense benefits? Source: