Tell the world you're made in America

American Apparel is proud to say they are at the forefront of marking their clothing with radio transmitters (called Radio Frequency Identification tags (or RFID tags for short)). While touting the supply chain benefits of these RFID tags they don't quite mention small details (like whether the tag gets turned off after you leave the store. This kind of potential surveillance (and the ensuing PR issues) led American Eagle to drop a similar plan in 2006. I've covered RFID tags before and their privacy implications. The folks over at Spychips also have a long list of interesting research they have done on RFID chips (including a book that's a little bit over the top but does raise some really interesting issues based upon patent applications). I figure if people have tried out tracking folks with Nike+iPod running gear then it can be only a matter of time before someone tries this with American Apparel's system.