Radio tag study revealed at Cebit

You might never lose another sock once radio frequency ID (RFID) tags are used everywhere, Google's chief internet evangelist has said.

Vint Cerf was speaking at the Cebit technology fair in Hanover after the announcement of a Europe-wide consultation study on RFID.

The study was announced at a press conference by the European Commission.

RFID is a technology that puts a small amount of computer memory into a tag readable at a distance by radio.

It promises to revolutionize the way we track items - and even people, which worries civil liberties groups.

The aim of the consultation exercise is to gauge reactions to RFID by both businesses and citizens in Europe.

Viviane Reding, the EU commissioner behind the exercise, warned that wider use of RFID would not be allowed to undermine the fundamental liberties that European citizens enjoy.

Ms. Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, also took time to point up the benefits of RFID.

She said European aircraft manufacturer Airbus was already using RFID tags on the replaceable parts - such as brakes, seats, and lifebelts - of the planes it builds. Many other firms are also trying out RFID tags to help them streamline their supply chains.

Ms. Reding said the widespread use of radio tags would tie together the internet world of cyberspace with the real world.

"We are heading toward a world in which billions of networked objects and sensors will report their location, identity, and history," she said.