I was interested in a recent article in the International Herald Tribune which picked up on the debate on RFID privacy sparked by the EC's recent privacy guidelines and proposed public consultation, and mentioned the creation of a privacy 'seal of approval'.
According to the article, as a proactive way of showing their understanding of privacy issues, European authorities have begun a $1.8 million, pilot project in the summer to create a trans-European "privacy seal of approval" that could be marked on products that meet independent evaluations of privacy standards and which could be applied to products using RFID chips.
Called the EuroPriSe Project, the program has already accepted 20 companies seeking the seal, according to the project manager, Kirsten Bock, quoted in the Herald Tribune article, which goes on to say:
"The Independent Center for Privacy Protection in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein is coordinating the project with partners in eight other countries, taking on the lead role because the center had already developed its own regional privacy seal. Bock said it was clear there was a demand for the logos - something akin to popular seals certifying organic products or fair-trade items. The new EuroPriSe program, she said, has had to turn away more than 80 companies during its test phase. And even Schleswig-Holstein, with its regional privacy seal, managed to attract a giant from across the Atlantic seeking a seal for its software, Bock said. At a ceremony last year in Berlin, Schleswig-Holstein officials awarded the privacy seal to Microsoft for its Update 6.0 and Windows Services."
Sounds like the scheme may be worth keeping an eye on.
Technorati tags: privacy EuroPriSe International Herald Tribune European Commission