Pathfinder - Consumer Information

Welcome to the website of the New Zealand RFID Pathfinder Group

The New Zealand RFID Pathfinder Group is a non-profit, membership based incorporated society. Our vision is for New Zealand to achieve superior economic and competitive performance through the adoption of RFID and EPC technologies. Our mission is to make the process of evolution (or revolution) faster and make the result optimal. We will work with industry and individuals to educate, research, pilot and implement RFID to provide valuable leanings for our members.

Consumer Information

The use of RFID has technological and social implications that have yet to be fully defined and understood and may only emerge as the technology starts to become widely adopted. In this area Pathfinders role is to create awareness and provide an educational role for adopters and consumers alike.

Click on the following links for discussions on:
Privacy
Traceability
Codes of Practice

Privacy

RFID technology offers new choices and levels of efficiency for consumers. RFID technology also brings with it increased opportunities for others to access information without our knowledge. Because RFID is a wireless technology, there is even greater risk as a physical connection (via a wire for example) or physical possession are not necessary in order for unauthorised access to occur.

Organisations can protect themselves by encrypting sensitive data, using digital signatures and using a process of authentication.

As a consumer, you can protect yourself by staying informed about the risks and understanding how the provider of the service/product has taken steps to ensure your privacy. Organisations have a duty of care to inform consumers about the type of information they are collecting, how it is stored and the steps that have been taken to ensure that your information is kept safe regardless of the technology medium.

While it is true that personal data on an RFID chip stored in something like a smart card or a passport could be accessed wirelessly without you knowing (known as skimming), processes of authentification of readers (so that only authorised hardware can access the data) and encryption of data (so that data can only be understood by those who hold a software key to decrypt the message) will protect you.

Traceability

RFID allows unprecedented traceability of stock throughout the supply chain. The greatest ability of RFID is the possibility for automation. RFID does not require line of sight to work and it can be used to identify individual product items (as opposed to a particular instance of a product line). Whether at the item , case or pallet, the movement of items can be tracked automatically and then traced by means of an audit trail.

Physically attaching RFID tags to items of interest is the first step. However, RFID only facilitates data collection. Return on investment is realised through adding value by using the data in some way to analyse the business to achieve evolutionary (efficiency and effectiveness gains) or revolutionary (new business models) of change.

RFID Codes of Practice

GS1 New Zealand engaged Standards New Zealand to manage a committee of interested organisations charged with producing a voluntary Code of Practice to be offered to retailers who will eventually stock products that may contain RFID tags.

The Code relates to RFID technology used in providing customer service and aims to protect the privacy of consumers insofar as RFID technology might relate to it if and when they purchase items containing tags. It does not address the use of RFID technology in the supply chain, between manufacturer or suppliers and the retailer’s “back door.”

It is intended that the Code should protect retailers from misunderstandings or suspicions that might otherwise have an adverse effect on customer relations and sales, as well as reassuring and protecting the public.

Download the Code of Practice (pdf – 179k)

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