Old English law

Old English law supported the “caveat emptor” principle where the buyer is accountable for researching the product and take responsibility for the product risk (Ellison, 2008). This principle is not practical in the resent year since the buyer cannot test the car safety or performance without driving it for extended period, the same test would be required before flying in an airplane (Ellison, 2008). A good example of such unknown risk is the use of Radio-frequency identification RFID in many products. RFID is an embedded device that transmit the location of the device (or whatever it is attached to) to a receiver or a reader (Willey, 2007). The receiver would know where the tag has been and this information can be analyzed and used for marketing and product customization purposes. The customers might benefit from receiving an advertisement related to their buying habits but in exchange for their privacy.

Willey, L. (2007). RFID and consumer privacy: let the buyer beware! Journal of Legal, Ethical & Regulatory Issues, 10(2), 25-37.