A radio frequency identification (RFID) tag may have a non-responsive mode, triggered by a command from an RFID reader, that temporarily prevents the RFID tag from responding to a query from any RFID reader for a period of time. In some embodiments this non-responsive mode may automatically end after a certain period of time without further action by the RFID reader. In other embodiments this non-responsive mode may end when directed to by another command addressed specifically to the RFID tag.