Results: RFID and Identity Management in everyday life - ITAS

Barcelona director Chase foresees a future in which everyone will have an RFID implant: “the
objective of this technology is to bring an ID system to a global level that will destroy the need to
carry ID documents and credit cards. The VeriChip that we implant in the Baja will not only be for the
Baja, but is also useful for whatever other enterprise that makes use of this technology.” One of the
VIP guests of the Baja Beach Club Rotterdam, Steve van Soest agrees: 'The main benefit is that you
can go out without having to carry a wallet, which can get easily lost in a night club. […] It would be
great if this catches on and you could put all your personal details and medical records on it. If I was
involved in an accident, doctors could simply scan me and find out my blood group and any allergies.'
The director of the Rotterdam club, Jo van Galen, has a more reserved view on the application. He
recognises the multiple opportunities the technology has, but is cautious about expanding the
applications of the chip. His main concern is running a business, while the Dutch society and media
tend to portray the Verichip in a negative manner. Consequently Mr. Van Galen is very much aware
that opinions on the technology can change easily from positive to negative and that this can harm the
nightclub’s image.
Still, Van Galen foresees some future applications too. Such as chipping personnel. Currently,
personnel of the nightclub carry tokens with chips in them. This way they can enter through a
personnel entrance. However, the token could be transferred to another person. The implant could
have a big advantage there, since it cannot be transferred nor lost be the carrier. But it should not, as
we have seen on the section on working environments, be used for time-registration. Mr. Van Galen
also thinks about using a credit system in stead of the current debit system. This will involve linking
the ID of the chip directly to a bank account or credit card. An advantage could be that a guest would
never have to hand over any cash or bankcard and may enhance the feeling of exclusiveness. A
disadvantage could be that it does not ‘protect’ a guest from spending more than intended, since there
is no maximum amount to spend. Furthermore, it involves issues of privacy and safety. Finally Van
Galen is in favour of the application expanding to other nightclubs. He envisions a ‘chipperscommunity’
in which VIP Chip carriers from different nightclubs can meet (in person or virtual) and
in which they can use their status in associated clubs. For now, the chipping community will remain
inside the Baja Beachclub until the negative storm of publicity surrounding the chip has settled down.
Crossing Borders: automating recognition
Continuing our travel, we will now take a plane from Amsterdam to Paris. At checking in, two RFID
chips are managing our identity: one to track our luggage and one to prove we are who we claim to be.
The first one is easy from our point of view: in stead of a bar code strip, the hostess connects an RFID
to our bag. From the perspective of the owner of this setting, the new system is a massive operation
which will make luggage handling faster and easier. The second application, our RFID passport is
perhaps the most complex Identity Management operations in the history of RFID. The chip does not
only store a unique number, but also picture of us. In the future, fingerprints will be added. In order to
secure only the legitimate owner of the RFID environment can read the chip, many complex security
measures need to be taken.
In 2004 the the International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched a programme to test and
build a business case for the use of RFID for luggage management. In November 2005 the
organisation introduced a global standard for RFID baggage tags. Air France-KLM luggage
handling [case #15] serves as a test site on flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam
Schiphol Airport. Later in 2006 more drop-off points in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport will be using
RFID labels. The goal of the pilot is to improve the baggage handling process. By implementing RFID
labels more reading points are possible, due to automated reads and a higher read rate than bar codes.
Thus, bags can be sorted and loaded faster than bar code systems and the number of mishandled bags
and associated costs is reduced. For now, the pilot looks promising from the point of view of Identity
Management. Bags can be identified easier, while the code can also be changed, for example when a
flight direction is changed. From the perspective of the traveller, one may suggest this new system
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