RFID to be outlawed

Washington and California have Bills advancing through their state legislatures that would punish those that enable or engage in the surreptitious reading of personal information through radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, reports Ars Technica.

California, which previously outlawed compulsory implantation of RFID devices as a condition of employment, recently passed a Bill that focuses on the use of RFID tags. Anyone reading information from those devices without their owner's knowledge and consent will be liable for some combination of a year in jail and a $1 500 fine.

Washington's Bill has passed the House and been sent on to the Senate. It's far broader in scope, and essentially spells out a Bill of rights for the RFID age. Should the Bill be enacted, consumers would be notified whenever they receive any RFID-containing device, and the seller would be responsible for following best security practices.

Gartner predicts that worldwide revenue for RFID technology will eclipse $1.2 billion this year, marking an almost 31% increase over last year, says Computer World.

Global RFID revenue in 2007 hit $917.3 million and it will reach $3.5 billion by 2012, Gartner analysts predicted in the report.

"The market for RFID technologies has begun to transition from being compliance-oriented to being revenue-generating and innovative," said Gartner analyst Chad Eschinger in a statement.

The integration of smart cards with biometrics will become a growing market, according to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan, says Secure ID News.

The report was co-sponsored by APAC Integrated Smart Cards and Biometrics Markets. It found that the market for integrated smart cards and biometric products earned $249.1 million in 2007 and is expected to reach $822.2 million by 2013.

National ID projects are the most active revenue generators for the market, since all governments in the Asia Pacific are looking at implementing biometrics along with smart cards.