The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and HID Corp., Irvine, Calif., have a joint effort to provide a public forum to discuss RFID and public policy, and to explore innovative RFID uses for personal identification that enhance privacy and security. The company and university are also creating a comprehensive online resource for industry, government and the general public, where they can learn more about RFID and privacy-related topics.

“As government and private industry expand their use of RFID, privacy concerns have emerged that deserve a neutral forum for dialogue that includes stakeholders from government, private industry and the public,” said Dan Greenwood, an MIT lecturer and attorney. “We at MIT will provide that forum with support from HID, by inviting stakeholders to our campus and hosting a relevant website on our servers.”

A steering committee, composed of MIT researchers and faculty and an industry advisory board, will develop content for the Web site. “MIT’s Media Lab is researching and developing new RFID design opportunities that support and reflect well-balanced public policy,” said Greenwood.

“We recognize the need to balance consumer privacy interests with the growing use of RFID across many sectors of the economy,” said HID’s CEO, Steve Wagner. “Collaborating with MIT, a world-class educational institution, is a natural extension of our ongoing commitment to safeguarding individual privacy with the responsible use of RFID technology."