curious, not creepy.

for the last year, a good friend of mine has been doing research on radio frequency identification chips [rfid] for a body of work he is working on. when either one of us learns something new, we discuss it a lot and pretty throughly. so, i’ve learned quite a bit about these chips through him. 

rfid chips act as transmitters to radio signals sent by transceivers and as a tracking device. several corporations use this technology in their products to assist them with marketing, however they legally have no obligation to tell their consumers that they are doing this. this is one of the things i have a hard time with regarding the rfid chips. i can see how they could be used for positive things, but i really don’t like the idea of something that i buy is being tracked while i’m in the store and could possibly be after i leave. there are no laws regulating how these things are used, and they don’t have to notify you of the chips presence.

so, for this project i went to two stores that prominently use the rfid chips in their goods and left notes in the clothing. i would either fold up a note and put it in the pocket, or i’d safety pin a note to the actual rfid chip which can be found really easily in most jeans. anytime you’ve ever had a tag that said remove before washing or wearing, you’ve purchased a product with an rfid chip. most people are completely unaware of this, i know i sure was up to a year ago. i think that it’s only fair that people are aware of these chips being in products they buy, and there needs to be regulation protecting our privacy. there are also many other uses that rfid chips are being implemented for that need to be raised for discussion, like putting them in passports and birth certificates, and are being looked over. my hope is that the people who find these will want to learn more and look at the website i provided and be apart of this conversation that needs to happen, or at the very least be aware of something that is a integrating itself into their lives.

i’m not sure if the text is really readable for these images, but this is what it said:

This product contains a Radio Frequency Identification Chip which act as transmitters to radio signals sent by transceivers.  This technology has the capability to track you wherever it is you travel.  There are currently no laws in place to protect you from this invasion of privacy, as it is not required for the 100+ companies that embed RFID chips into their goods to tell their consumers they actively use them.

 

Protect your right to privacy.

 

www.spychips.com 

also, most of the notes i left were in the pockets of clothing that were already on the floor. i wasn’t able to document any of these but was able to capture these in the privacy of my dressing room. ideally, there would be lots lots more then just the twenty i did.