Will ‘Big Brother’ Really Be Able to Watch Us?

A few years ago I read an article that claimed that within the next 10 years, every product we purchase will have a unique code imbedded in the product. The code will allow anyone with the right type of scanner to know exactly what products you have in your home by simply driving by the house and pointing the scanner at your home. The idea sounds a little far-fetched to me, but I won’t completely dismiss it as a possibility.

The technology is supposed to be currently under development. The ability to have this technology serves several purposes. First, it will allow shoppers to simply push their cart past a scanner to ‘ring up’ everything inside the cart at once. Then the shopper can pay for the items and take them out to their car where they can place them in bags or boxes to get them home. It will save tremendous time and cut personnel at the check out lines. Next, it will allow marketers to know what products an individual purchases regularly. Also, by driving by homes and noting what products are stored in that home, the marketer will know what addresses to target with specific promotions or coupons. For example, if a house has a number of baby products inside such as formula, disposable diapers and baby food, the marketers will know they should target this address for baby and pre-school items.

It feels disconcerting to me that someone driving by my home might someday be able to know all that information about me without my knowledge. I have to stop and think whether this is progress or an invasion of privacy. Will I appreciate the coupons that I’ll receive as a result of someone having this knowledge, or will it just creep me out that someone can know all these things I may not want them to know, like what medications are in my home? Let me know your thoughts on this potential packaging development.

The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.