Washington State outlaws ubiquitous RFID data collection

April 13, 2009

OLYMPIA – Governor Christine Gregoire signed into law today House Bill 1011 further protecting consumers and citizens from unwanted invasions of privacy.

This marks House Speaker Pro Tem Jeff Morris’ (D – Mount Vernon) second consecutive year passing significant new consumer protection measures in Olympia after last year’s nation-leading legislation prohibiting the malicious use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) microchips to gain access to consumers’ personal information.

“While RFID technology certainly offers some advantages for consumers, retailers, and marketers, most people aren’t aware of the potential threat to their privacy and personal information from carrying around transmitting microchip in their wallet,” said Morris.  

This year’s legislation prohibits a government office or business from remotely reading an identification device, unless the government or business is the same entity that issued the identification device. Those exemptions recognize legitimate uses, such as use by law-enforcement agencies or for other public-safety purposes.

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) is a tagging-and-tracking technology using tiny electronic tags or chips embedded in household products, ID cards, and even clothing. When prompted by a radio transmission from a chip reader, these chips transmit a unique number used to identify the carrier or product – transmitting a product’s price or, more ominously, a person’s identity and even location.

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Contact: Jeff Morris 360-786-7970

Downloadable photo:

http://www1.leg.wa.gov/documents/house/members/photos/morris.jpg