CASPIAN Praises Schumer Comments on Swipeless Cards

NASHUA, N.H. - Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering, a privacy advocacy group here yesterday praised Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., a member of the Senate Banking Committee, for comments he made Sunday regarding RFID-based "no-swipe" credit cards. Schumer, noted CASPIAN, said contracts for the cards should have warning boxes disclosing "the known weaknesses of the technology" and cautioned cardholders about their vulnerability to identity thieves. "It's about time for Capitol Hill to recognize the dangers of RFID," said Katherine Albrecht, founder and director of CASPIAN. "Perhaps now members of Congress will listen to their concerned constituents and work to pass long overdue bipartisan RFID labeling legislation not only for credit cards, but other RFID-tagged consumer items as well." CASPIAN demanded a recall of RFID credit cards last month after the New York Times reported that a team of security researchers found security vulnerabilities in the cards. Credit card industry executives were quoted in the report pointing out the security features of the cards.