Question

n 2004, a large department store chain in germany was forced to withdraw customer loyalty cards when the press discovered that the company had secreted radio-frequency identification (rfid) tags in the plastic. even when enclosed in a wallet or purse, these cards can transmit information over distances of about a meter, and the stores planned to use them to track which departments the customer visited. at issue was which data security issue? group of answer choices unauthorized access chat rooms sexual innuendoes expressed through lewd humor biometrics consumer privacy

Answer 1

The data security issue at hand is consumer privacy, which was compromised when a German department store tracked customers using RFID tags without consent. With the evolution of technologies like RFID and GPS, the balance between convenience and the right to privacy has become more complex, necessitating greater security measures and ethical considerations.

Step-by-step explanation:

In 2004, a department store chain in Germany faced a consumer privacy issue when it was revealed they had embedded RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags in customer loyalty cards without the consumers' knowledge. These tags could transmit information over distances of about a meter, thereby tracking customers' movements within the store. This raised serious concerns regarding the unauthorized tracking and collection of personal data, shedding light on broader issues of online privacy and security that affect various sectors, including retail, banking, and government services.

Technology advancements, such as RFID, GPS tracking, and NFC (near-field communication), have indeed made it easier to track and monitor people, both for legitimate and illegitimate purposes. While these technologies offer convenience and efficiency, they also pose significant risks to individual privacy. Ensuring the secure and ethical use of personal data has become paramount, with identity theft and the loss of trust in institutions becoming increasingly common consequences of data breaches.