‘The :CueCat Bar Code Reader privacy issue’
Summary
‘A vulnerability in the :CueCat Bar Code reader allows :CueCat to collect profiling information about the end user, and thus target advertisement information to users using the :CueCat product.’
Credit:
‘The information has been provided by Richard M. Smith.’
Details
‘The Privacy Foundation recently completed a technical evaluation of the :CueCat bar code reader. This handheld device, which is similar in appearance to a computer mouse, is a product of Digital:Convergence Corp. of Dallas, Texas. Hundreds of thousands of these devices are currently being distributed free of charge to consumers through partner companies including Radio Shack, Wired magazine, and Forbes magazine. The company has announced plans to distribute 10 million devices by year-end 2000 and 50 million devices by year-end 2001.
This product can be used to collect private information on the user of the bar code reader.
The complete article is available at:
http://www.privacyfoundation.org/advisories/advCueCat.html‘