ANEC press release: Opting in into consumer protection

29 April 2009
Opting in into consumer protection
The European Commission is expected today to adopt a Recommendation on privacy,
data protection and information security in RFID applications. ANEC calls for
consumers to be properly protected from risks to their privacy and security through
implementation of the ‘opt-in’ principle. Not all RFID applications raise concerns or even
affect consumers. However, consumers should not be obliged to ask for the RFID tag to
be deactivated at the point of sale in order to avoid risks of being tracked or profiled.
This should be done by default if consumers are to have trust in RFID.
Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) is a technology for the transmission of data stored on a
microchip. As the technology is ‘contactless’, data can be read remotely from within the local
geographical environment of the microchip. ANEC believes consumers should be informed of
the presence of the RFID tag by a clearly understandable sign, accessible to all consumers. “In
order to avoid consumer confusion and ensure harmonisation, we believe European Standards
should be developed to support common European signage” said ANEC Secretary-General,
Stephen Russell.
“Furthermore, Privacy Impact Assessments should be conducted before the deployment of
RFID applications in order to assess the risks to which consumers are likely to be exposed.
The results of such assessments should be made public. Again, we think European Standards
should be developed in order to ensure a high-level of consumer protection and a level playing
field for RFID operators” he added.
ANEC also believes RFID technologies pose risks to health and the environment. As RFID
technologies will significantly increase personal exposure to Extremely Low Frequency (ELF)
elements, ANEC considers new exposure assessment procedures are needed to test
compliance with safety guidelines. Moreover, further research is required to assess the
potential risks to health that can arise from the application of RFID technologies.
European Association for the Co-ordination of Consumer Representation in Standardisation, AISBL
Av. de Tervueren 32, box 27 – B-1040 Brussels, Belgium - phone +32-2-743 24 70 - fax +32-2-706 54 30
e-mail: anec@anec.eu - internet: www.anec.eu

ANEC in brief
ANEC is the European consumer voice in standardisation, representing and defending
consumer interests in the process of standardisation and certification. ANEC was set up in
1995 as an international non-profit association under Belgian law and represents consumer
organisations from the 27 EU Member States and 3 EFTA countries. ANEC is funded by the
European Commission and the EFTA Secretariat, while national consumer organisations
contribute in kind. Its Secretariat is based in Brussels.
More information: www.anec.eu
Contact person at ANEC: Chiara Giovannini
Tel: +32(0)2 743 24 70
Email: anec@anec.eu
ANEC-PR-2009-PRL-012
European Association for the Co-ordination of Consumer Representation in Standardisation, AISBL
Av. de Tervueren 32, box 27 – B-1040 Brussels, Belgium - phone +32-2-743 24 70 - fax +32-2-706 54 30
e-mail: anec@anec.eu - internet: www.anec.eu