States tackle RFID legislation.

• Position: News & Numbers - Radio-frequency identification - Brief article

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, which use radio waves to identify the item it is attached to, are frequently used for inventory management. These tags are increasingly being integrated into items from passports and credit cards to consumer products. Several states, however, are concerned about their applications in regard to people.

The Washington state Senate recently passed a bill banning the use of RFID technology as a means of collecting personal data without the knowledge of the individual. If the bill is signed by Governor Chris Gregoire, Washington would become the first state to prohibit the gathering of personal data for malicious intent, making it a felony

Washington state Rep. Jeff Morris has noted the technology is ripe for abuse and exploitation, saying he wants to stake out an individual's privacy rights before it's too late, according to a statement on his Web page at housedemocrats. wa.gov. "Without placing some reins on the scope of this technology now,"...