There have recently been increasing numbers of studies on ubiquitous computing to build pervasive communication infrastructures. In Japan, a national strategy to become a ubiquitous network society in which anyone can easily access and use a network any time, anywhere and from any appliance, has been promoted for the sake of social security. A child monitoring system using radio frequency identification (RFID) is one example of a security system accepted by Japanese parents since 2004; the system informs parents of the exact time their child enters and leaves the school gate. Along with the technical development of RFID, the government and ubiquitous computing industries are suggesting various advanced monitoring systems to promote a ubiquitous network society. However, tagging people with an RFID always raises the controversy about the trade-off between security and privacy. In this article, by investigating parental perceptions of advanced child monitoring systems as an example, we aim to suggest an appropriate way to introduce ubiquitous security systems to the public. The findings indicate not only the need to consider the technical and regulatory frameworks, but also that relationships with actual users are essential for building ubiquitous security systems.
Surveillance and Privacy in the Ubiquitous Network Society