Consumer protests against RFID tag trials
There was a demonstration outside the Cambridge Tesco superstore on August 9th 2003, which was testing the RFID tags in Gillette Mach 3 Razor blade packages.
NoTags organised a protest at the Tesco Sandhurst store on Monday 15th September from 5.30pm. c.f. Re-scalable map showing the location of the Tesco Extra superstore in Sandhurst. Here is a photo of the event:





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14. Tesco Sandhurst RFID tagged DVDs


MeadWestvaco Radio Frequency ID tags used on DVDs - trial at Tesco, Meadow Park, Sandhurst, UK - July 2003


MeadWestvaco RFID tag embedded in a paper label on DVD case, one pound coin for size reference


MeadWestvaco RFID tag with top layer of paper removed on standard DVD case



MeadWestvaco RFID tag with top layer of paper removed


Closeup of MeadWestvaco RFID tag with top layer of paper removed



RFID Journal has an article: Tesco Tests Low-Cost RFID System

Tesco are trialling MeadWestvaco Intelligent Systems tags for their pilot at their Sandhurst Tesco Extra superstore south west of London. These RFID tags are embedded in paper labels and operate at High Frequency i.e. 13.56 MHz and use an innovative reader antenna sharing scheme which reduces the number of expensive readers required, at the cost of taking longer to poll all the stock on the shelves. This has the effect of making these readers less useful for linking to RFID triggered CCTV surveillance, which has been attempted in the Auto-ID labs, and possibly at the Gillette razor trial in the Cambridge Tesco store (which has now ended, almost certainly not due to any privacy or consumer activist pressure).

Since most supermarkets have lots of continuous CCTV Surveillance anyway, the extra "security" that RFID triggered CCTV Surveillance provides must be doubtful. However the combination of RFID Smart shelves and CCTV will be potentially very privacy intrusive if it is aimed at analysing the "browsing" habits of consumers.

The DVDs in this trial are already encased in standard Sensormatic (one of the Auto-ID sponsors) tagged anti-theft plastic cases which are removed at the checkout. The DVDs already have standard printed product barcodes.

N.B. The MeadWestvaco RFID tag is NOT "killed" or deactivated when the customer pays for the DVDs at the checkout, and can still be read remotely, as was demonstrated by Channel 4 television "Chips with everything" by David Rowan on 27th July 2003.

Unless such RFID tags are deactivated permanantly at the checkout, this technology should not be permitted to be inflicted on unsuspecting customers, and should remain where it belongs in the warehouse and supply chain.

Tesco deserve criticism for not informing their customers about the privacy implications of these particular RFID tags.





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15. Marks & Spencer clothing tags
Marks & Spencer seems to be set to launch a large scale RFID tag trial in some of their clothing ranges, this Autumn 2003. The Intellident RFID tags promise to work at the 868Mhz Ultra High Frequency and therefore have a much longer read range than other RFID tags tested in the UK using the 13.56Mhz High Frequency.
The previous trial of 13.56MHz High Frequency tags on the plastic trays used to transport food deliveries from Marks & Spencer's suppliers i.e. not on the individual food packaging, and therefore does not present a consumer privacy problem.

It still remains to be seen if Marks & Spencer plans to go down the route of secret experiments on their customers, using RFID tags that are not deactivated at the checkout, like Tescos have done, or if they have learned from the privacy concerns of the public.

Update on the M&S High Wycombe trial
It seems that Marks and Spencer are giving some attention to consumer privacy in the first of their clothing RFID tag trials, initially for 4 weeks (October - November 2003) on on suits, shirts and ties. at their High Wycombe store around OctoberNovember 2003.

Computer Weekly also has an article: Marks & Spencer begins the UK's largest in-store trial of RFID tagging technology

M&S have produced some leaflets explaining something about the RFID tags to their customers, for which one has to hunt around for in the High Wycombe store. This is only a slight improvement over Tesco who try to keep their customers in ignorance.

The paper label RFID tags are removeable i.e. a separate label on the ties and suits, or on the shirt wrapping, rather than the Texas Instruments type RFID tags designed to be embedded in clothing and capable of withstanding laundry processes.



Note the "Please retain this label for refund and exchange" printed on the label





Shadow of the RFID chip and antenna when held close to a lamp.

There are, in fact no RFID readers in evidence in the High Wycombe store men's clothing department, which is relatively small, with probably only a couple of hundred tagged shirts, suits and ties.

Given the public relations silence on the topic so far, it must be assumed that this latest M&S RFID tag trial still does not seem to comply with the Auto-ID Center's idea of a tag that can be "killed" or disabled electronically at the checkout, and that there is no strong authentication handshake which would allow only M&S RFID readers to interrogate them.

Therefore the privacy concerns (similar to those over "third party cookie tracking" profiles compiled from internet web site surfing) still remain.


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November 2004 trials
Marks & Spencer
Intelligent Label RFID tag trial
Menswear department
Marble Arch store, Oxford Street, London, November 2004.

Apparently there are six Marks & Spencer stores participating in this latest RFID tag trial until December 2004, This press release from March 2004 implies that that the six stores are probably Aylesbury, Camberley, Ealing Broadway, High Wycombe, Kingston and Marble Arch

Comapred with the original trial in 2003 at High Wycombe, the tags seem be restricted to suits and jackets only, with no tags on ties or inside shirt wrappings

These Intelligent Labels seem to be the same sort as before, except that the printing has been simplified. The back of the label is now just plain white, instead of having a glossy white sticker with just the Marks & Spencer copyright information , HQ address, website URL, "ying/yang" arrow symbol and printing reference codes, all of which information now appears at the bottom of the face of the label.

"MARKS & SPENCER" still appears at the top of the label.

The "circuit board" graphic and "INTELLIGENT LABEL TM" has been replaced by the simpler "INTELLIGENT LABEL TM FOR STOCK CONTROL" in the centre of the label. This could be due to confusion with the other labels on some of the menswear which in the High Wycombe trial was labelled as allegedly "intelligent fabric" or the Marble Arch one as "urban wear" fabric, which "breathes" moisture and does not need ironing etc.

The words "Please retain this label for refund and exchange" have now disappeared from the label.

Otherwise, the Marble Arch trial environment seemed to be similar to the High Wycombe one, with absolutely no notices, displays or leaflets informing the Customers that they were taking part in an experimental trial of any sort.

There is no RFID scanning equipment at the payment till counter, and therefore no "killing" of the RFID tag once the individual garment has been purchased. We noticed Staff and Customers blissfully unaware that the newly purchased clothing being wrapped up in a plastic suit bag still had its RFID tag label attached.

Approximately one or two RFID tags per rack seemed to be sticking up, presumably due to Customers' handling of the garments. Several of these tags were bent or folded, which may be significant in causing a few of these paper labels to fail to be read by the scanner. Higher frequency, longer range, more compact tags would probably reduce this potential problem.