An Electronic Article Surveillance ("EAS") tag and method and system for deactivating EAS tags without the need to physically contact the tag with a deactivation device. The EAS tag replaces the conventional diode with a non-linear device such as a metal-oxide-semiconductor ("MOS") capacitor with a given breakdown voltage threshold. Inducing a predetermined voltage across the MOS capacitor results in destruction of the MOS capacitor rendering the EAS tag undetectable in the EAS interrogation system.