Wal-Mart to insert RFID tags in clothing beginning this August.

[sinkingfeeling]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38376726/ns/business-retail/

NEW YORK — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is putting electronic identification tags on men's clothing like jeans starting Aug. 1 as the world's largest retailer tries to gain more control of its inventory. But the move is raising eyebrows among privacy experts.

The individual garments, which also includes underwear and socks, will have removable smart tags that can be read from a distance by Wal-Mart workers with scanners. In seconds, the worker will be able to know what sizes are missing and will also be able tell what it has on hand in the stock room. Such instant knowledge will allow store clerks to have the right sizes on hand when shoppers need them.

The tags work by reflecting a weak radio signal to identify the product. They have long spurred privacy fears as well as visions of stores being able to scan an entire shopping cart of items at one time.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Do you HAVE privacy inside a store, carrying around merchandise?

[NickB79]

2. They could have used a more accurate headline

The RFID's will be in the tags ON the clothing, not in the clothing itself.

[Lucian]

3. People are being watched all the time while in a store.

Asset protection, management, and even employees watch customers as they shop through a store. How is an RFID tag any different?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending this. It's just a matter of fact.

[jtuck004]

4. And in their customers in November...all the better to track you with, my dear. n/t

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[leftofcool]

6. I don't shop at Wally World so I could care less what they do.

[Rosco T.]

15. You think other places don't? Dream on n/m

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. Why are privacy experts worried about the privacy rights of jeans at WalMart?

Do items of clothing even have privacy rights? I realize that since corporations are now people, then perhaps inanimate objects now have rights. :shrug:

[msongs]

8. are these tags removed after purchase? nt

[whistler162]

11. removable smart tags from the OP

[SoCalDem]

9. If you microwave them does it kill the chip?

:shrug:

[tammywammy]

12. Or you know, you could just remove it after your purchase

Like the article says they're removable.

[SoCalDem]

13. I have not set foot in a walmart in a decade, so I won;t worry either way

:)

[tammywammy]

14. It'll expand to other stores in the future

It's an ideal inventory process, don't think other places won't do this as well.

[LiberalFighter]

10. Who the hell even write this crap?

I doubt that any sane person would have a problem with merchandise being tagged for inventory purposes and would also expect for theft prevention. And I would expect any store to implement this including Wal-Mart.

As long as the tags are removed once the purchase has been made. I don't have a problem.