FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Consumer Group Calls for Immediate Worldwide Boycott of Benetton
March 12, 2003

An American consumer privacy group has called for an immediate, worldwide boycott of Benetton (NYSE:BNG) following disclosures that the company has placed identification and tracking devices into its clothing products. CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) announced today that it will oppose Benetton's plans to place Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips into clothing labels intended for the consumer market.

RFID chips function as tiny radio transmitters, allowing clothing to be identified and tracked at a distance. According to a joint press release yesterday by Benetton and chip manufacturer Philips Electronics, the devices are "imperceptible to the wearer and remain in individual items of clothing throughout their lifetime." The chips have already begun appearing in Benetton's "Sisley" clothing line.

Benetton's announcement sparked an immediate firestorm of concern and outrage among consumers, some of whom liken the technology to the film "Minority Report," where clothing tags were used to identify individuals and target them for advertising.

CASPIAN founder and director, Katherine Albrecht, a Harvard University doctoral candidate and consumer privacy advocate, warns that Benetton's chips could be used for more than just unwanted advertising.

"Manufacturers of these chips are already promoting them as a way to track individuals and inventory their belongings. It would be easy for Benetton to link your name and credit card information to the serial number in your sweater, in essence 'registering' that sweater to you," she explained. "Then any time you go near an RFID reader device, the sweater could beam out your identity to anyone with access to the database -- all without your knowledge or permission."

This scenario is not far-fetched, according to a 2001 INFORMATIONWEEK article. There, RFID proponents predicted the creation of a seamless network of millions of RFID receivers strategically placed around the globe in airports, seaports, highways, distribution centers, warehouses, retail stores, and consumers' homes.

CASPIAN is cautioning consumers in all 120 countries where Benetton products are sold to avoid purchasing Benetton clothing until the company publicly renounces its involvement with RFID tracking technology.

Albrecht said, "We would rather go naked than wear clothing tagged with spy chips."

Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (CASPIAN) is a grass-roots consumer group fighting retail surveillance schemes since 1999. With thousands of members around the world and in all 50 U.S. states, CASPIAN seeks to educate consumers about marketing strategies that invade their privacy and encourage privacy-conscious shopping habits across the retail spectrum.

For more information, visit CASPIAN's website at http://www.nocards.org

Katherine Albecht, CASPIAN Founder and Director: 888-353-5659
Mary Starrett, CASPIAN Media Associate: 602-315-6193

For additional information, see:

Phillips/Benetton press release:
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030311/115697_1.htm

Forbes article illustrating remote inventorying of shoppers' clothing
(As reproduced on Alien Technology's website)
http://www.alientechnology.com/news/The_Internet_of_Things.htm

CASPIAN overview of privacy concerns associated with RFID technology:
http://www.nocards.org/AutoID/overview.shtml

CASPIAN
Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering
An information clearinghouse and resource for community and national action

© 1999-2005 Katherine Albrecht. All rights reserved.