On the surface, Western technology seems to keep personal
privacy to a minimum. Sophisticated credit card databases follow the effects of
US consumers' buying power. Citizens have their purchases tracked while they
establish purchasing identities that then become salable public property.
Consumer movement could be examined via locatable automated purchases,
tollbooths, and even cellular location systems indexed against phone and credit
card records. Privacy-aware consumers fight to protect and keep private their
own data: social security and credit card numbers, date of birth,
mothers' maiden names, biometric data, and other means of personal
identification.
In the United States, the government attempts to balance
citizens' privacy concerns with the sophisticated lobbying of the
credit-card-related industries. Privacy laws have emerged that attempt to limit
the information dissemination from these sophisticated databases. However, a
nagging insecurity about the lack of privacy, although an acknowledged part of
life in the United States, is disconcerting to many.
The Lightening Rod
RFID has come to the forefront during a period of heightened political and
economic insecurity. The brilliant minds that conceived and propagated the
vision of ubiquitous RFID probably did not anticipate the backlash that this
insecurity could muster. The fragmented nature of the RFID industry does not
help matters, either. Because of their inability to create a high-profile,
sustained media campaign, RFID industry proponents have been unable to provide
influential voices of calm.
The US media's sensationalistic portrayal of RFID has
resulted in actions unfortunate for responsible RFID industry proponents. Key
regulations in various US states are now being proposed as prophylactic
measures, without necessarily giving the industry sufficient time to educate and
respond effectively.
The Indian Perspective
India has been discussing a privacy law for some time now. Currently, items
typically associated with an individual's privacy profile-social Security
number, mother's maiden name, date of birth, or fingerprints-are freely
handed out by local citizens. In India, many less educated people use a
thumbprint in lieu of a signature, and all fingers are printed when people
register a land deed at the registrar. Mothers' maiden names are known by most
and dates of births are freely provided and are required by most commercial
organizations. In fact, those who resist giving their birth date or fingerprint
attract glaring stares.
Complex Interplay of Social Systems and Technology |
In Asia, the following
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However, as the citizens of this rapidly growing economy
are also rapidly increasing in buying power, marketing companies, many of which
are unscrupulous in their techniques, are easily extracting information from
unsuspecting consumers to build Western-style databases.
In India, the adoption of credit and smart cards is raising
awareness today of confidentiality and secure access rather than of privacy.
Indians seems to commonly believe that information about oneself is not truly
confidential. In a society where personal information in known by many, Indian
citizens would like confidential and secure access for their financial
transactions first. Personal privacy, although desirable, is usually of lower
priority.
India's closest attempt at pro-privacy legislation is The
Information Technology Act of 2000. This Act includes provisions that cover
unauthorized access and data theft from computers and networks, with a violation
penalty of approximately $2000,000. At the same time, however, the Act does not
have specific provisions for privacy of data.
India's success in the outsourcing business seems to have
hastened consideration of an amendment to the Information Technology Act. New
clauses will be added that will conform to the European Union's Data
Protection Directive and the US Safe Haven privacy norms. Customers in the
United States and Europe are having a positive effect and are primary drivers of
adopting strict security and confidentiality norms.
Privacy Across Asia
China has its own concepts of privacy. Although it is likely to consider
data protection laws for its global clients through a Personal Data Protection
Bill, the personal privacy concerns of Chinese citizens are not expected to
emerge as major issues in the near future.
Japan's primary pro-privacy legislation is the 1998
Act for the Protection of Computer Processed Personal Data. The Personal
Data Protection Bill, passed in 2003, may also have some applicability to RFID
technology deployments. Overall, however, the perception of many in Japan is
that privacy laws are discussed mostly in theory but have less impact on actual
practice.
South Korea is unique in Asia in that it has a seemingly
comprehensive privacy and data protection law. A current (2204) bill aims to
ensure that the government at all levels can collect private information only
with an individual's consent. This bill also specifies that reasons for the
collection of personal information must be stated clearly on relevant documents
and Web sites. Further, Korea's Ministry of Information and Communication
intends to develop; regulations targeted to mobile service providers, which have
thus far avoided privacy laws for tracking users.
Malaysia does not have clear laws that address data
privacy, nor does it adhere to international privacy agreements. The situation
is similar in countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
It is important to acknowledge that privacy continues to
evolve and is a dynamic concept across Asia countries.
The Government Push
In many ways, today's Asian governments and corporations have a level of
automation that has not been seen in the United States for more than 25 years.
Throughout Asia, there is still an enormous installed base of paper records.
On the other hand, many Asian governments are rushing ahead
and could soon surpass the United States in their adoption of information
technology and so-called e-Governance initiatives, For example, the Indian and
Chinese governments are planning to create huge databases to provide smart
electronic identity cards to all citizens. When they do, hundreds of millions,
if not billions, of consumers will instantly be using RFID-based technology via
smart cards on a daily basis
Because of their inability to create a high-profile, sustained media campaign, RFID industry proponents have been unable to provide influential voices of calm |
Cultural Predisposition of Technology
Unlike the United States and its counterparts, most developing countries
have not experienced decades of widespread technology adoption, and thus, lack a
comparative “installed base” of technology adoption experience.
Rather, technology adoption has been associated with form,
function, and consumer status or “fashion”. Technology is popularly
associated with the application that it leverages rather than the technology
itself. As an example, many Asians have adopted cell phones for status, form,
and function more rapidly than Americans have. Not only are cell phones
“cool”, they also provide the voice-to-voice communication that is so
important to the cultures of many countries in the region. The status-conscious
Asian has also begun to associate adoption of new technologies as a key status
differentiator. The actual technology behind the phones is vastly secondary.
Establishment of National Identities
Countries are increasingly using specialized technology as a means to
establish and leverage competitive national identities. A recent example is
India's unprecedented leadership in outsourcing.
This industry, now the talk of the international business world, was
nonexistent in the region a few years ago. China has successfully taken a
leadership role in low-cost manufacturing. The Philippines is also aggressively
pursuing outsourcing, as are other counties attempting to establish national
identities in this space.
The World Trade Organization (WTO), with its combined
threat and opportunity for global competition, has also proven to be a strong
catalyst for nations to search for and establish new areas of globally
competitive differentiation.
It is fair to assume that the need for identity-based
personal privacy is not only a Western privilege but perhaps also a Western
construct. Thus, the Asian adoption of RFID technologies will be conditional not
on privacy issues but rather on practicality of the applications that RFID
enables.
Based on excerpts from the Book- RFID Applications,
Security, and Privacy
Chapter-Asia: Billions Awaken To RFID
Author: Bimal Sareen