David: Can you speak on the RFID privacy and paranoia issue for a moment? You also mentioned the comparison to a credit card?

Martyn: The most common question around security I hear is whether an RFID tag on an item such as clothing or electronics would allow that person to be tracked. The answer is theoretically, yes, but practically no.

This is because the RFID tag itself usually only contains a unique identifier similar to what you would see on a barcode. No personal data is on the tag itself, so in order to learn anything about the consumer, someone would need to have access to both the tag data as well as the enterprise database of the retailer who sold you the item.

In addition, retailers are able to render the tags on these items useless by using a 'kill' feature outlined in the tag specification.

The retailers themselves already know about your spending habits through your electronic purchase history with credit cards. So if you trust these companies with your credit card spending information, I really don't see how an RFID tag on the item makes anything less secure.

David: Are you aware of those RFID tags that people are putting under their skin? Do you know much about that?

Martyn: People have different motivations for such activities. In some cases, RFID is embedded into their skin for the shock effect, whereas other times there are legitimate reasons to do so.

One example that comes to mind is the ability for VIPs of popular night clubs to have an RFID tag embedded in their skin to allow them to be identified without having to wait in line or carry ID or credit cards.

This isn't much different than a gas station chain's RFID-enabled keychain allowing you to quickly pay at the pump -- just a different type of tag and method of "attachment." This is not a common use of the technology, though, and not one that I see being actively pursued in the enterprise market.

David: When we talked earlier, you told me a story about RDID and maternity wards. You also mentioned theme parks.

Martyn: RFID tags and software systems are being built to solve many real-world problems. We have a system as part of RFID Anywhere called the Location Information System (LIS). What the LIS provides is the ability to combine location awareness data with business or environmental context.