Privacy at METRO GROUP

METRO GROUP respects the privacy of its customers and promotes standard privacy guidelines in the use of RFID.

Prevailing German and European privacy legislation already covers all existing RFID applications sufficiently. At METRO GROUP, the technology is used in full compliance with existing provisions. Transponders, as they are used in the consumer goods industry, do not store any personal consumer information. The Electronic Product Code (EPC) merely refers to product and process information which is stored in a protected database. Personal data is neither disseminated nor stored.

The international standardization organization EPCglobal, in which METRO GROUP is also represented, drew up guidelines on the use of RFID with customers in 2005. These guidelines go far beyond legal requirements. Members have voluntarily committed to the following rules: they will inform customers comprehensively about where and why RFID is used and how they can remove and disable transponders. On request, customers can have transponders removed or permanently deactivated after they have made their purchase. Consumers are also to be educated about the way RFID works and the advantages of the technology.