Worried about RFID and privacy? Panic about TPMS

April 1, 2008 - 11:03pm — mdoneil

A federal law, the TREAD Act requires that a tire pressure monitoring system be installed on all new cars sold in the US.

This TPMS will use radio frequency signals to send tire pressure data to a central onboard computer. Since thre will be many cars in close proximity these sensors in the tires transmit an identifing code so that the onboard computer can extract signal from noise.

However there is absolutely no reason a sensor could not be embedded in a road, or placed next to, above, near or in some other way positioned to pick up these radio waves... radio you know like the one in the car.

Armed with the unique IDs transmitted by these sensors you could be tracked, or simply watched. Perhaps a sensor to see when you drive into the office parking lot, or to the mall or grocery store.

I can wrap my library books in tinfoil to keep the RFID from being interrogated, but what are you going to do wrap the car in a Faraday cage?

Enjoy the violation of your privacy.