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Retail giant Tesco is using RFID technology in its Cambridge store. The electronic tags are being tested on Gillette razor blades and send a message to a CCTV camera whenever a customer picks up a packet. But a Labour MP fears for our privacy and wants new regulations for the technology.

A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprises a microchip and a tiny antenna that transmits the data from the chip to a reader. The reader is activated whenever the antenna comes into range and the data can be used to ring up a purchase or trigger an event, such as opening a door. Usually the range is no more than a few feet.

The Guardian newspaper reports that in the Tesco trial a CCTV camera will take a picture at the time the packet is taken off the shelf, and that a further picture is taken at the checkout – again triggered by the tags inserted in the razor blade packaging.

As one colleague (Robin) pointed out, the opportunities for confusing such a system are tremendous.