Abstract:
This master thesis deals with the question, how the deployment of selected Ubiquitous Computing technologies may effect Privacy.
After a detailed discussion on Privacy and its importance on and foundation in society we analyse the workings of selected Ubiquitous-Computing-Technologies. In particular the system of Radio Frequency Identifiers (RFID) is analysed, which consists of a combination of passive Smart Tags, the Electronic Product Code (EPC), the Object Name Service (ONS) and the Physical Markup Language (PML) and which is actively researched at the AutoID-Center of the MIT.
The combination of these technologies allows to attach an worldwide unique identifier (ID) on an object and to read this ID on demand via radio signals. Moreover information on the identified object - such as kind of object, date and time of manufacturing, locations the object passed over time, data on the respective owner - can be read and/or stored.
Based on comparable technologies, like applications on the Internet, which are already more widespread and have already been subject of privacy-related research, we assess the possible effects that the deployment of Ubiquitous-Computing-Technologies may have on privacy. Furthermore we discuss possible solutions for the detected problems.
