RFID--'value-added' or consumer intrusion?

A drug package designed to help consumers comply with proper dosage regiments is an example of "value-added" packaging that is potentially life saving.

But there are other, more subtle, ways "value-added" finds its way into packaging. For instance, the value-added benefits of radio

But what if, as some consumer privacy advocate groups have suggested, RFID systems used for packaging were developed that could covertly photograph you, superimpose your picture with an itemized receipt of your purchases along with credit card numbers or other personal information? What if that information was used for advertising purposes or worse? What if criminals or agencies followed your tracks via RFID and monitored what you do in the privacy of your own home?

The Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (CASPIAN) wants to rope in potential RFID abuse by proposing legislation that mandates--through labeling--whether or not a package is RFID-enabled. This isn't necessarily a bad idea. We're living closer to a George Orwellian world everyday. An initiative such as this gives consumers the opportunity to see what's tagged and how that information is used.

After all, it's the sneaky nature of RFID that makes us, as consumers, nervous. And what value is there in that?