RFID—the “Next Step” in Consumer–Product Relations or Orwellian Nightmare? Challenges for Research and Policy

Radio frequency identification (RFID) has been successfully implemented in supply chain management, automated toll collection, and inventory control. The next implementation is expected to come in retail, with RFID embedded in products, on shelves, and at check-out points for value-added sales and post-purchase services. This vision of a pervasive and omnipresent technology has spurred considerable controversy due to privacy concerns and fears of an Orwellian surveillance society. At the moment, consumer-oriented RFID research is scarce and fragmented. This paper seeks to chart the RFID territory, address the research that is readily available, and conclude with a call for a more encompassing research agenda on RFID and consumers. Research on RFID is needed to better understand the various contexts RFID appear in, to inform policy-makers not familiar with the many challenges involved, and to make industries aware of the full range of consumer-critical issues in RFID development.

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