Where's the beep? A case study of user misunderstandings of RFID

Abstract

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is increasingly being incorporated into everyday objects. This case study examines three examples — credit cards, transit cards, and the U.S. e-Passport — given ubiquitous computing power through the addition of RFID. We explored user comprehension of RFID technology generally and these implementations specifically to understand if and how the addition of this technology transformed subjects' experiences with these objects. By exploring whether or not the new implementations preserved prior expectations of use, we sought to understand what experiences subjects drew upon to create new mental models for engaging with them. As all three of the objects we examine stored personal or financial information, we were specifically interested to understand how individuals dealt with the novel privacy risks introduced by RFID. We distill our findings into general recommendations for designers contemplating embedding ubiquitous computing into everyday objects, particularly those that manage personal or financial information.