Rfid Political and Legal Influences

Radio frequency identification (RFID) can help track patients and record their readings, track equipment, and employee location in the hospital. (Larsen, Marc G. 2012) Radio frequency identification is a technology that captures data using electric or magnetic fields at radio frequencies. Depending on the type of radio frequency identification that is being used an individual can be tracked any where from 10 feet away to 300 feet away, this will allow for both patients and staff to be tracked and or monitored. The three main things radio frequency identification is used for is tracking, monitoring, and identification. This technology can also help improve speed of lab test and monitoring and logging of temperature for refrigerated storage. (McGrady, Elizabeth. 2012)

Using this wireless technology makes it harder to control the content viewed, especially when personal computers can access the network. RFID can typically be a more expensive technology than your normal barcoding system. You can choose between using active RFID tags or passive RFID tags. Passive tags are very similar to a barcode; however active tags can be activated to track movement and count in a quick manner. Active tags are more expensive, but certain types can be reused. RFID tags can also be larger than a regular barcode and can be more difficult to understand than a typical system. Also, “Some common problems with RFID are reader collision and tag collision.” (What is RFID?, 2012) These types of collision occur when multiple readers or tags are in one area making it difficult to pick up the correct signal.

Microchip implant is an exceptionally well thought authentication method that has the possibility of making a huge impact in securing information. The concept of microchip implant was introduced in 1945 by Leon Theremin, who was the originator of one of the first covert devices which is also known as “bugs”. This device is followed by Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology which is a small electronic device that contains a chip. This chips allows the ability to store data typically ranging up to 2,000 bytes or less. RFID is comparable to magnetic strips or bar codes because they all act as a unique identifier for a specific purpose. In order to obtain information from an RFID, you must scan the device just as how a magnetic strip or bar code would require scanning. RFID can also be described as the wireless non-contact use of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields that helps in transferring data with the goal of being able to automatically recognize and monitor tags that are being attached to objects. RFID technology is currently being used by many different industries varying from identifications badges that enclose RFID tags that assist with eliminating the chances of shoplifting, to vehicles using the technology to help monitor the production process and track the vehicles across the assembly line. Other scenarios that may use the microchip implant includes animals having RFID tags placed in them for identification purposes as

The RFID is considered a significant improvement over the conventional barcode, which needs to be read by scanners in "line-of-sight" fashion and can be stripped away if the paper product labels get ripped or damaged. RFID can also facilitate inter-organizational E-commerce initiatives such as continuous replenishment or vendor-managed inventories (Smaros and Holmstrom, 2000).

This is dangerous because your information could potentially be getting into the wrong hands. RFID chips are

This will reduce the risks of medication errors that can seriously the harm patients, and cost the healthcare organization lots of money in order to compensate the patient, and to provide new drug dosage. Also, tis technology will help reduce the number of counterfeit prescription drugs that are given to the patients for a sick leave in the healthcare organizations. It is like mass sterilization of the prescription drugs where it ensures that each prescription is credible to use by the patient. The product will have a unique number to each prescription drug in order to record the to record information about all transactions involving the product. Overall, track and trace prescription drugs using RFID technology help in improving patient safety in and out side the healthcare

Another side of this issue deals with the cons of getting an RFID implant. With any new technology, it takes a while to work out all the bugs and kinks. When putting so much information and dependence on a single chip it makes it a perfect target for hackers. In addition, if the information is writable or readable, there is also the likelihood of impersonation or data corruption(6). It is easy to hijack data off of an RFID chip. Anyone with an RFID scanner can connect to the implant and access the signal information and intercept the code that is being broadcast. This means anyone with a scanner can easily access and scan implants without anyone realizing it and steal their banking information and other identification information in a split second. Digital mimicry is a real-world likelihood, meaning

The Food and Drug Administration has considered approving radio frequency identification chips or RFID chips that are implanted under the skin that will hold information about the person that the chip is implanted into. Would you like to have all of you personal information about your entire life on a tiny computer chip, the size of a grain of rice, implanted under your skin? The FDA should not approve the implantation of RFID chips in humans. First, the problem with RFID chips will be discussed and second, the possible solutions to RFID chips will be discussed.

The Food and Drug administration has approved the chip. When the chip was approved, according to Joseph Brownstein of Do Chip Implants Protect or Violate Privacy? , “it mentioned potential problems, including electromagnetic interference, failure of the chip to function properly and adverse bodily reactions.” The FDA’s letter never described the probability or severity of these risks. Brownstein interviewed Silverman, who had an RFID chip implanted years before it was approved by the FDA, and Silverman explained he never experienced any of the potential risks. Yet, there are less invasive ways to accomplish the same goal. The Medic-Alert

When you think of a chip being implanted in your skin, there is a lot of thoughts that comes cross your mind. The idea of that seems very scary an unreal. Who would have ever thought that a device can be implanted in your skin and would be able to give all your health history and other personal information about yourself. This device is called the RFID and its seems to be becoming something that the government is wanting to start implanting the RFID into human. Whether it’s a good idea or not, I don’t know, but today I’m going to go into detail to explain the pros and cons of the, as well as the ethics and legalities of the RFID.

It also implemented throughout the healthcare industry. Some practices are using it to track and locate supplies to improve the overall efficiency of their inventory management process. Hospitals even use RFID on surgical tools to help reduce lost utensils.

The website that I found list some interesting pros and cons about the RFID chip. It mention about how the chip could be used to track pets, which I've never really considered before. But the main con was that there very easy to get your hands on and unauthorized users with scanners can gain access to sensitive information fairly

RFID technology is not only used at gas stations, restaurants, and department but also at

Radio Frequency Identification chips are becoming more common as well. They are small and inexpensive, making them increasingly useful in numerous applications. Certain companies have begun using employee ID badges embedded with RFID chips in order to ascertain the whereabouts of its employee’s. This same technology can be found in several other devices, such as tags for tracking livestock, and in certain retail items in order to prevent theft. The wireless signals and location tracking abilities enabled by RFID chips have made privacy conscious individuals more concerned about the general usage of these chips in everyday products. Some worry that such technology will bring our society closer to a surveillance state, while others

Some of the disadvantages of the RFID technology are that it is expensive to install. Small and medium scale enterprises find it costly to use it in their firms and offices. In the case of Harley Davidson, getting products from many different suppliers’ would mean that the tags may have to be installed in liquid and metal products. The problem is that the liquid and metal surfaces tend to reflect the radio waves, which makes the tags unreadable. The tags have to be placed in various alignments and angles for taking proper reading. This is a tedious task when the work involves a large organization like Harley Davidson. Another disadvantage of the technology is that interference has been observed if devices such as forklifts and walkie-talkies are in the vicinity of the distribution centers. The presence of mobile phone towers has been found to interfere with RFID radio waves. Wal-Mart, the retail sector giant, has installed billions of RFID tags in their products throughout the world and they have encountered such problems.