The European Commission has revealed a new logo for items that include radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, to keep them compliant with EU data protection rules. The scheme is voluntary, but technology trade organizations like Germany’s BITKOM have signed up to promote its use.

RFID tags, used in everything from travel smartcards and keychains to consumer goods, are trackable at close range but also tiny and generally hidden. By bringing in the RFID logo, the idea is to make people aware when items they’re carrying can be tracked, and help them decide whether or not they want to buy items with smart chips inside them.

An awful lot of items use or will use RFID, because it’s very cheap to include, it allows for more efficient stock management and it helps fight stock theft. In that sense, the new standardized logo is also intended to help retailers – and healthcare…