One Smart Card For Everything
What’s the Latest Development?
Since 2002, residents of Taipei and other parts of Taiwan have been able to reduce an increasing number of transactions to a single smart card with an embedded RFID tag. Originally restricted to public transportation, the Easycard can now be used as a debit card for purchases, a library card, an office entry key, and even as an ID. One family demonstrated how they use their Easycards in a typical day; for example, when the daughter checked into her school using her card, her parents received a text message notifying them that she had safely arrived.
What’s the Big Idea?
Despite the convenience, there are several risks involved in having a multifunctional smart card, which the Easycard company says it covers as best it can. The amount of data accessible through the card is limited, although the risk goes up when the card is used as an ID. As of right now the Easycard cannot track every move a customer makes, largely because of the type of RFID tag used, but a switch to a different type of tag could cause privacy concerns. Still, enough interest has been generated such that the company is in talks with smart card manufacturers in other Asian countries, including Hong Kong and South Korea.
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