Results: RFID and Identity Management in everyday life - ITAS

Case ID # 108, level 1
Title Liber-T
Researcher Jessica
Timing Unknown
Geography France
Setting Car
Environment Toll roads
Case #108: Liber-T
Technology Read/write/re-write tags installed in the vehicle. Reader installed in the entry- or exitgates.
Maturity Operational
Function Automatical charging of toll fee.
Owner The Federation of French motorway and toll facility companies (ASFA) and the French tollcompanies
(ALIS, AREA, ATMB, Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhone, CCI du Havre, COFIROUTE,
ASF / ESCOTA, SANEF, SAPN, SFTRF, SMTPC) [57]
Maintainer French toll-companies
Users Subscribers to the Liber-T system (In 2005 there are almost 1,5 million subscribers and there
have been 179 transactions per tag per year [58].
Other actors
Case story Liber-T is an electronic toll payment system that is implemented on the french tolled motorway
(it is also called 'telepeage'). The badge gives drivers the possibility to enter and exit toll-routes
through specially designed gates, without stopping and paying with cash or bankcards. The
biggest user advantage is shorter queues, this is also the main marketing strategy [57]
There is some data on the tag, either fixed or modified. Fixed data is identification of the bearer,
the product (subscription type) and the tag. Modified data is observation data on tag status, last
entry or exit point and historical data of last 16 entries or exits [62].
On a forum frequently visited by Dutch subscribers to Liber-T, we started a thread on Identity
Management in this case. ‘MarK’ draws a comparison between his bank and his Liber-T
subscription. ‘They know my address and my bank account (otherwise payment would not be
possible). My bank knows this and there are a lot of other people and authorities that know this
too.’ He also mentions other ways in which personal information can be gathered, like using
your creditcard or your cell-phone [63]. This view is shared by other visitors too. ;Mariette 58’
thinks it is merely a ‘characteristic for this age of time’. This argument appears to make up for
the fact that ‘they’ get to know some things about you [64, 65]
‘MarK’ closes his response by saying that it actually gives him a feeling of safety in case he got
lost on a French highway and adds to this that knowing who you are and where you are going is
essential for the company to do its business [63].
ID issue This system will provide information about the travels a subscriber makes. The information could
be used for marketing purposes, though there is no indication that this happens at this moment.
It seems that users see the RFID system in perspective to other technologies; there are other
ways in which information can be gathered so why cause a commotion over this particular
technology? The ‘age of time’ and ‘running the business means knowing things about you’
seems to settle doubts.
Sources 57. http://www.autoroutes.fr/asfa/qui.php?lng=2 (visited 7 July 2006)
58. ‘Key figures 2005: French tolled motorway facilities network.’
(http://www.autoroutes.fr/upload/institutionnelle/cles2005-EN.pdf)
59. ‘Liber-T: the French toll system’
(http://www.autoroutes.fr/upload/institutionnelle/telepeagedoc)
60. http://www.sanef.fr/fr/ecommerce/particulier/decouvre.jsp (visited 7 July 2006)
61. French Toll Road Operators (2002) Knowing our costumers
80