Results: RFID and Identity Management in everyday life - ITAS

In order to get an OV-chipkaart ourselves we needed to fill in an application form requesting many personal
details: name, address, bank account, signature and a copy of our passport. This is quite surprising, as the
card is a debit system and not a credit system. Money can be put on the card through machines placed at
the stations and we did not see why identification was necessary. According to Translink Systems
anonymous card should also be available in time, these were not offered yet. Another OV-chipkaart was sent
automatically to us by the Dutch Railways, replacing a discount card we already possessed and for which we
already provided personal data. The accompanying letter proclaimed we were now “prepared for a new way
of travelling”. It also stated that, once we waved our card the first time at the reader, this act would be
interpreted as an opt in for the user agreement. For details on this agreement we were referred to a website.
Although this action can be interpreted as service in order to make the transition more smooth, it is a subtle
way to get a personalised card more accepted than the anonymous card.
On the subway, the OV-Chipkaart worked quite well. When holding our card near the Translink sign, the
reader bleeped, displayed the current value of the card, stated we had checked in and wished us a pleasant
journey. We did however not have to use the card to open the gates. These were left open for people still
using the paper-based tickets. On the buses however many problems occurred. Sometimes we could not
check in. The readers just gave a mysterious code: 707. Most of the bus drivers could not handle the
malfunction, made some jokes about them and offered us a free ride. On other occasions, the readers did
not sufficiently check us out, resulting in a payment for as far the bus would go. One of our researchers
made 40 trips and accounted more than of the transactions failed. A bus driver, helping her out on many of
these events, called her one night at home to inquire if everything was sorted out with the card. This account
demonstrates the link between the card and the personal information in the database has not been
sufficiently secured yet. Finally, at one occasion we were checked for fare dodging by a controller with a
hand held reader. We then found out the data on the card also contain our date of birth – yet another bit of
identity being managed by the maintainer without our consent.
ID issue The OV-chip card is used both for payment and profiling traveller’s behaviour. Users have two choices in
managing their identity: being profiled while travelling with an personal card or anonymous travelling with an
anonymous card and fewer possibilities. The case revolves around the question whether travellers have a
fair and clear opt in or opt out choice.
Sources 01. “NS schendt privacy” In: Volkskrant. 20 February 2006.
02. ‘CBP legt OV-chipkaart aan banden’. In: Bits of Freedom nieuwsbrief, Nr. 4.5, 6 March 2006
(http://www.bof.nl/nieuwsbrief/nieuwsbrief_2006_5.html , visited 29 June 2006).
03. ‘Pechtold ziet geen problemen met RFID’. In: Automatiseringgids, 11 May 2006
04. CBP ‘Visie CBP chipkaart’, 16 November 2005 (http://www.cbpweb.nl/downloads_overig/z2004-
0850_ov_chipkrt_visie_CBP.pdf?refer=true&theme=purple, visited 20 June 2006).
05. CBP ‘brief over chipkaart’ (http://www.cbpweb.nl/downloads_uit/z2004-
0850.pdf?refer=true&theme=purple, visited 20 June 2006).
06. ‘Waarom vertrouwen jullie de klant niet?’. In: Volkskrant, 20 February 2006
(http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article224714.ece/Waarom_vertrouwen_jullie_de_klant_niet ,
visited 20 June 2006).
07. Ejure.nl, ‘Commentaar eJure op de OV chipkaart’
(http://www.ejure.nl/mode=display/downloads/dossier_id=49/id=371/Commentaar_eJure_op_de_OV_c
hipkaart.pdf, visited 26 June 2006).
08. ‘OV-chipkaart ook in Amsterdam te gebruiken’, 31 July 2006
(http://www.clubmetro.nl/index.php?actie=nieuws&c=2&id=61561, visited 2 August 2006).
09. http://www.ov-chipkaart.nl (visited 22 June 2006).
10. http://www.verkeerenwaterstaat.nl/Images/G0-besluit%20OV-Chipkaart_tcm195-
160470.pdf?dossierURI=tcm:195-15678-4 (visited 26 June 2006).
11. ‘Ook tram-, bus- en metrovervoer wil gegevens opslaan’. In: Telegraaf, 21 February 2006
(http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/33944341/Ook_tram___bus__en_metrovervoer_wil_gegevens_op
slaan.html (visited 26 June 2006).
12. ‘Spitsreiziger 10 procent duurder uit’. In: De Volkskrant, 11 April 2006
(http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article278824.ece/Spitsreiziger_10%C2%A0procent_duurder_uit ,
visited 11 July 2006).
13. LOCOV (2005) Advies kaartproposities OV-chipkaart, 26 April 2005,
http://www.minvenw.nl/cend/overlegorganen/locov/uitgebrachte_adviezen/2005/Index33.aspx#0
(visited 23 June 2006).
14. ‘OV-chipkaart mag vervoer niet duurder maken’, 12 April 2006
(http://www.consumentenbond.nl/nieuws/nieuws/Archief/2006/4093170?ticket=nietlid, visited 11 July
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