From: paul@hawksbill.sprintmrn.com (Paul Ferguson)
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 94 17:37:40 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Big Brother wants the shirt off your back
Message-ID: <9406140139.AA29082@hawksbill.sprintmrn.com>
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Although not exactly crypto-related, I couldn't forego the opportunity
to pass this along - 


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Subject: RISKS DIGEST 16.14
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Date: 13 Jun 94 23:00:44 GMT
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Date:  Mon, 13 Jun 94 16:16 EDT
From: Lynn R Grant <Grant@DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL>
Subject:  Big brother wants the shirt off your back

Here's another risk on the horizon.  We may have to wait a few
years, though.  From the June 1994 issue of Bobbin, "The premier
news and information source of the global sewn products industry":

     Groups such as the American Textile Partnership (AMTEX), a
     research consortium that links the sewn products industry with
     the Department of Energy's national laboratories, also are looking
     at RF technology as a means to improve the production process.  In a
     research project called the Embedded Electronic Fingerprint, long-term
     work is underway to develop a computer-type device the size of a grain
     of wheat that could be attached to a garment and used through the
     entire product life cycle.

     "A manufacturer could program into the device information unique to
     a garment, such as the size, color, style, line, or plant of
     manufacture, care instructions, etc.," explains Jud Early, director
     of research and development for the Textile/Clothing Technology
     Corp, [TC]**2.  "There also would be a large amount of blank memory
     that could be used for anti-counterfeit tracking and more."

     Since each tag would have a unique identity, in-process inventory
     could be tracked easily using RF units--without ever touching garments
     or having to open shipping boxes.  For example, a carton could be
     passed through a reading system, which would verify the contents
     against the packing list.

So, all that is needed is for the clerk at the store to capture the
identity of the shirt, perhaps through a barcode on the tag (so they
wouldn't have to install the special shirt readers), and they already
know your identity from your credit card number (unless someone else
buys your shirts for you), so they can track your movements by setting
up shirt readers in various places.

But that might take more collusion between government and the stores
than we want to speculate.  So try this: a crime is committed.  A few
days later, you walk past a hidden shirt reader, and are immediately
approached by an officer of the law, who arrests you for the crime.
"But I was nowhere near the scene of the crime," you protest.
"On the contrary," the officer counters, "one of our hidden shirt
readers detected you shirt in the vicinity of the crime.  You must
be guilty."

One would hope that the manufacturers of these devices don't accidentally
program duplicate serial numbers in them.  And you should think twice
about lending your shirt to your girlfriend.

Lynn Grant  Grant@DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL

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