Project: RFID and Identity Management in Everyday Life

1
Project RFID and Identity Management in Everyday
Life
Carried out by
Duration MEP in charge Jorgo
Chatzimarkakis Carried out by Rathenau
Institute, The Hague, as a member of ETAG Project
Management Christian vant Hof, Rathenau
Institute (c.vanthof_at_rathenau.nl) STOA
Administrator Theo Karapiperis
Background
Challenges ahead
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) has entered
the public space on a massive scale to identify
people, provide access and proceed transactions.
These chips can be read using radio waves and
provide information needed on the spot. But what
do the data tell about the identity of its
users? Who profits most from the information RFID
systems generate?

• RFID users need to know what maintainers can and
  are allowed to do with RFID data
• RFID users should play a role in developing new
  RFID environments
• If RFID settings are connected, it should remain
  clear who is responsible for the personal data
• Reconsidering what data are personal data
• Governments should take a clear stance on whether
  RFID bulk data will be mined for investigation
  purposes

The STOA project
Identity management Identity management normally
only refers to the way in which maintainers of
information systems define the identity of the
users. In this project, we add the users
perspective how do they define who they are to
the system? Are the characteristics attributed to
this identity similar to both parties or do they
differ?
Project Aims Methods

• Provide insight into experiences with RFID in
  daily life of European citizens
• Develop the concept of Identity Management
• Draw a near-future scenario of RFID within the
  internet of things
• Formulate policy challenges for RFID use in
  Europe

• Overview of which RFID applications are used to
  identify people
• 24 case studies on RFID in public transport,
  automotive, work, retail, leisure and border
  control
• Expert meetings to draw scenarios for the next
  four years on the basis of the case studies
• STOA Workshop at European Parliament on 24
  January 2007

Outcomes
Users generally perceive RFID as not more than an
electronic key or wallet, while the maintainers
of the system can also register movements,
productivity, preferences, habits and so forth.
Currently identity management issues are more
fixed to specific settings (see pictures). In the
near future however, identities of users can be
managed throughout different settings.
Aggregating these personal data can serve
usability and service levels, but it can also
upset the power balance between user, provider
and government.