§ The Earl of Northeskasked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they consider that the use of radio frequency identification tags on consumer goods represents risk to civil liberty and privacy; and, if so, whether they have any plans to initiate an inquiry into such use. [HL153]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)The use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on consumer goods does not represent a risk to civil liberty or privacy. RFID tags merely identify objects and where such data are associated with personal information the provisions of the Data Protection Act apply. The Department of Trade and Industry sees no need for an inquiry into the use of RFID technologies at this time.
The Department of Trade and Industry is monitoring trends and developments in the use of RFID technology and is engaged with RFID technology suppliers, users, consumer and civil liberties representatives, the Home Office and the Department of Constitutional Affairs to identify real and perceived risks and agree means of addressing these.