Why the EU is worried about RFID
1. For a microchip that measures just a few millimeters across, RFID has already caused a fair degree of controversy. The radio tags – used on anything from pharmaceutical products to sea containers – have prompted campaigns by privacy groups, street demonstrations in continental Europe, and conspiracy theories a-plenty1. The latest organization to step into the controversy is the European Commission, which this month held a series of workshops2 in Brussels as part of a consultation over the technology.
The EU expects the use of RFID tags to grow rapidly in the next few years, and believes a public discussion is necessary now about how they might be used, and how the data the tags provide might be protected. In part, the EU is responding to pressure from consumer and privacy groups, which have expressed concern that RFID tags could be used to build up huge databases of individuals’ shopping, leisure and travel habits. These databases could be exploited by unscrupulous businesses and also become a target for cybercriminals.
2. “Most business cases for RFID involve nothing that touches the consumer, but are based around back-end systems and the logistics chain. Most RFID tags will never reach the consumer but are on the pallet level,” says Jeroen Terstegge, corporate privacy officer at Philips and a moderator in the EU’s consultation.
3. European Commission officials are likely to be looking for evidence that the IT industry is taking such privacy and security considerations into account. And companies that are actively involved in RFID, including Philips, IBM and Accenture, are already working on privacy and security enhancement measures for RFID. Such measures could include limiting the range of tags – so that the reader would need to be in close proximity to the product, for example – encrypting the data on the tag, and providing consumers with the option to wipe the RFID chip once they have bought an item.
4. “We are seeing some push back on RFID plans, but it is because of technical not privacy issues,” says Duncan Brown, consulting director at analysts IDC. “We are seeing other areas where businesses are generating more and more information in a digital form, and some of this is potentially far more sinister data than what clothes you are buying.”
9. Give English equivalents for the words and phrases given below:
база данных; беспринципный; быть в противоречии;возврат назад; вопросы технического характера; губительная информация; затрагивать потребителя;информация в цифровой форме; кибер-преступник; кодирование данных; меры по расширению; потребитель; провести ряд рабочих встреч; радио-метка;система с внутренним интерфейсом; соображения секретности и безопасности; стирать чип радиочастотной идентификации; теории конспирации.
10. Complete the sentences using abbreviations given below:
| ISO GPS RFID EDI LCL DC |
1. Computer-to-computer transmission of business information in a standard forma is called……….…….1.
2. The use of radio frequency technology to identify objects is…………………2.
3.………………3 is shipment that is less than a complete rail car load.
4. An organization within the United Nations which develops and monitors international standards has the name…………..4.
5. ………………5 is the warehouse facility which holds inventory from manufacturing pending distribution to the appropriate stores.
6. A system which uses satellites to precisely locate an object on earth is ………….….6.
11. Answer the questions:
1. Why have radio tags prompted campaigns and street demonstrations by privacy groups in Europe?
2. Why is discussion on RFID tags necessary now according to the European Commission point of view?
3. What concern have consumer and privacy groups expressed on RFID tags?
4. What kind of privacy and security measures for RFID are Philips, IBM and Accenture working on?
5. Why is there a push back to RFID plans according to Duncan Brown, a consulting director at analysts IDC?
12. Translate the sentences using the text “Why the EU is worried about RFID”:
1. Радио-метки широко используются на фармацевтических продуктах и морских контейнерах.
2. Базами данных RFID-меток могут пользоваться беспринципные дельцы, они также могут стать мишенью для кибер-преступников.
3. Потребители товаров выразили озабоченность по поводу того, что радиочастотные метки могут использоваться в целях построения таких баз данных, как покупки, времяпрепровождение и образ жизни индивида.
4. Компании, активно использующие радиочастотную идентификацию (Philips, IBM, Accenture) уже занимаются разработкой мер по усилению секретности и безопасности радиочастотной идентификации.
5. Мерами безопасности могут выступить кодирование данных метки; доступность для потребителей опции стирания чипа радиочастотной идентификации после покупки товара.
6. Европейская Комиссия провела в Брюсселе ряд рабочих встреч-консультаций по вопросам радиочастотной идентификации.
7. Использование RFID-меток вызвало серьёзную полемику и критику.
8. В Евросоюзе полагают, что использование радиочастотных меток будет расти в последующие годы - необходимо проводить общественные дискуссии относительно того, как целесообразно использовать и защищать данные, которые предоставляют эти метки.
13. Use past simple or present perfect forms of the verbs given in brackets (See Language Notes):
1. Yesterday they …………..1 (transfer) of structured data from one computer system to another.
2. Recently we …………2 (work) out a Continuous Replenishment Program.
3. Last year the company ……………3 (implement) Advanced Order Management.
4. Since 2005 Enterprise Resource Planning ………4 (use) at the factory.
5. RFID already ……….5 (cause) a fair degree of controversy and ………..6 (prompt) campaigns by privacy groups.
6. Move to a true Just-In-Time strategy ………7 (change) the attitude: “We are doing alright, don’t risk it” ……..8 (replace) “What we need to do and how do we make it happen?”
7. You ever ……..9 (check) the stock-keeping unit?
8. The warehouse management system …………..10 (implement) 3 months ago……. 11 (help) the employees work effectively on all stages.
9. Collaborative Planning and Forecasting Replenishment ……..12 (improve) the work of logistics provider.
10. Our project already……..13 (create) a network of sensors deployed at sites in the vicinity of applications that rely on the GPS signal.
11. We never …….14 (use) total quality management. Why shouldn’t we try?
14. Retell the article “Why the EU is worried about RFID” according to the plan:
A. The radio tags have prompted campaigns by privacy groups, street demonstrations in Europe, and conspiracy theories.
B. European Commission held a series of workshops in Brussels as part of a consultation over the technology.
C. Most business cases for RFID don’t involve the consumer, but are based around back-end systems and the logistics chain.
D. Work on privacy and security enhancement measures for RFID.
E. Collecting information in a digital form and in the form of RFID tags.