Homework #8

The article that I am discussing is called “Wal-Mart Radio Tags to Track Clothing.” It was written by Miguel Bustillo who is a contributor for The Wall Street Journal. The article was published on July 23^rd, 2010 and the link for the article is http://bx.businessweek.com/rfid/view?url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704421304575383213061198090.html

Wal-Mart has decided to go with sophisticated electronic ID tags to track individual pairs of jeans and underwear. This is the first step in a system that advocates say better controls inventory. Critics thing that it may raise privacy concerns. 

Wal-Mart placed these removable “smart tags” on individual clothing items that can be read by a hand-held scanner. After scanning these tags with the scanners, workers will be able to quickly learn, for instance, which size of Wrangler jeans is missing. The aim of these hand-held devices is to make sure that the shelves are optimally stocked and inventory is tightly watched. If these devices are successful, the radio-frequency ID tags will be rolled out on other products at Wal-Mart’s more than 3,750 United States Stores. 

Before these tags, Wal-Mart have primarily used RFID tags, which store unique numerical identification codes that can be scanned from a distance, to track pallets of merchandise traveling through their supply chains.

Although the idea of simplifying stocking up and looking for products with the smart tags and hand-held devices is easy and effective there are people who disagree with this method and say that it is causing privacy concerns. 

The tags can be removed from the clothing and packaging but they can’t be turned off, and they are traceable as well. Privacy advocates think that “unscrupulous marketers or criminals” will be able to drive by consumers homes and scan their trash to find out what they have recently purchased from Wal-Mart. The advocates also state that retailers would be able to scan customers who carry the new types of driver licenses ID cards as they walk through the store without their knowledge. The advocates also think that retailers could theoretically scan people with such licenses as they make purchases, combine the info with their credit card data, and then know the person's identity the next time they stepped into the store.

Personally, I think that the readers are a great idea for Wal-Mart, they make the company more efficient. They just need to find a way so that people won’t be able to steal people’s personal information.