• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, October 16, 2004

RFID Surprisingly Familiar to Consumers

In conjunction with very topical consumer implant technology, the new Consumer RFID Buzz survey conducted by BIGresearch and Artafact LLC explores consumer concern with privacy abuse.

Joe Pilotta, PhD, VP Research BIGresearch. says "We were surprised at how many people are already aware of RFID given the minimal consumer press, but we were not surprised at how concerned they are about the issue it raises around protecting their personal information." According the study fielded in September 2004, over one fourth of U.S. adults are already familiar with the term and can describe it to others. Nearly two thirds are "very concerned" or "somewhat" concerned about the potential for privacy abuse.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is the next generation of the UPC system of bar codes. This technology is distinguished from bar codes by the ability to be read at a distance and by the ability to uniquely identify each item. The majority of RFID aware adults learned about RFID through the Internet.

Complimentary detailed findings available at: http://www.bigresearch.com/rfid.htm