The Privacy Coach has been developed to demonstrate novel ways to inform consumers about the RFID tags on the items they buy and the tags that surround them in their environment. An NFC mobile phone is used to display information about RFID tags in the vicinity and compare the privacy profile of the user with the known privacy profile of the RFID tag.

The architecture of the application is derived from the Mobi.Ubiq framework. The system architecture consists of client software running on a mobile device and a central Policy Provider server where RFID tag numbers and privacy policies are stored. The user can access privacy policies, based on the ID or number of the tag, which is registered in the Policy Provider. The mobile device transmits the tag-number via wireless Internet (GPRS, UMTS, WIFI) and the server returns the requested policy. The received privacy policy is then matched on the mobile device with the stored personal privacy settings and the mobile device displays the result of the policy comparison. This results in either a match or a non-match. In case of a non-match the privacy policy of the tag does not comply with the stored privacy preferences of the user.

Privacy profiles

We distinguish two different kinds of RFID tags:

1. ID badges
2. RFID tags on products.

For both types of RFID chips we have created separate privacy policy profiles. These privacy policies are stored on the mobile device and the attached privacy policy of the RFID tag is stored on the server.

To read RFID tags mobile devices with NFC capability are used. The system works with the three NFC mobile phones that are currently available on the market:

• Nokia 6131 NFC
• Nokia 6212 NFC
• Nokia 6216.

We note that such phones cannot read EPC based tags due to incompatibilities with the NFC and Electronic Product Code (EPC) standards (the former operates on the 13.56 MHz (HF) frequency band and the latter on the 860 MHz – 960 MHz (UHF) frequency band). In our demonstrator we used Mifare based tags instead.

The privacy coach project is sponsored by NLNet and realised together with the following partners:

• AR RFID Lab Kabk
• Rathenau Instituut
• TNO
• Universiteit Leiden
• Waag Society.

Safeshopper is a mobile application for people with diet restrictions. People can scan barcodes with their mobile phone while doing their groceries. Safeshopper is a lightweight mobile application that is able to quickly scan barcodes; even if these barcodes are on coloured backgrounds, on curved objects or with dim light conditions. For the barcode scanner the technology of Mobi.Ubiq is used.

The value of Safeshopper is a reliable product database with allergy information. Consumers with particular food allergies can share their experience with a specific product on the Safeshopper website. If a possible contamination is found or if the product information provided by the producer does not match with the user experience, these findings are shared and displayed on the mobile phone. In this way Safeshopper aims to provide the most reliable allergy information directly where it is needed.

Currently the Safeshopper application is in a pilot stage and works only in the Netherlands on Nokia Symbian S60 phones.

More information about Safeshopper can be found at www.safeshopper.eu.