Wired News: Euro Scheme Makes Money Talk
“Euro cash could be embedded with radio frequency identification tags if a reported deal between the European Central Bank and Hitachi becomes reality. The bank is working on a hush-hush project to embed RFIDs, wireless transponders the size of a grain of sand, into the fibers of euro bank notes to foil would-be counterfeiters. The bills currently have a number of security marks, including threads that glow under ultraviolet light, but as the euros wear thin, these are less perceptible. If the deal goes through, it will be a boon to the nascent RFID industry, which has long been in search of a market. However, consumer privacy advocates have questions about other possible uses of the tags.”
