Public officials, business leaders and personalities from the smart card industry recently gathered in Sacramento, Calif., for an HID Corp.-sponsored daylong event designed to build a balance between privacy concerns and the practical uses of RFID technology.
The conference, first announced at the ASIS Int’l expo by HID’s parent company ASSA ABLOY, came about after attempts by legislatures in California and other states to restrict the use of RFID technology. California State Senator Joe Simitian (D), who has authored pending legislation that would restrict RFID for some applications, was among those attending the daylong forum. According to HID, he left the Dec. 1 event saying that while he still put top priority on privacy concerns, he intends to work closely with the smart card industry to reach a common ground.
“The feedback we’ve been hearing is excellent and suggests our initial goals for a healthy exchange of information, perspectives and dialogue were achieved,” says HID President and CEO Denis Hébert. “The industry was able to correct some misconceptions about RFID and establish this technology as integral to meeting the public’s need and desire for greater security and privacy protection.”
