Chipping People: RFID Implants and More
An RFID chip before insertion. Image: Ishmell (Flickr)What is the probability of personal chip implants entering the mainstream consumer market? That was the question Social Technologies' Matthew Sollenberger worked to answer in a recent brief.
"Technology has advanced to the point where it is feasible to implant advanced microchips in humans," explains Sollenberger. “GPS, medical implant technology, and radio frequency identification (RFID) chips could be used for a variety of functions, from surveillance to identification. Chipping people would be simple, and could assist with child and elder safety, debit and credit payment, and personal medical records. However, consumer opinion is sharply divided on the merits of human microchip implants.”
Drivers for inserting chips into people are diverse:
- Cheap implantable devices and quick, low-cost implantation have made chipping easy and affordable. It takes about 20 minutes, and doesn’t require stitches.
- Chip tracking and scanning is becoming more robust, thanks to wireless, GPS, and RFID scanning networks.
- Parents are increasingly looking to technology to provide child safety solutions. In fact, 75% of parents in the UK say they would buy a child-tracking device.
But there are obstacles, he says. "The idea of implanting a chip with tracking functions in the body tends to evoke strong feelings—especially considering that RFID implants are considered highly vulnerable to hacking, and the long-term health effects are unknown."
In addition, privacy advocates warn that human chipping would let “Big Brother” run rampant. And, Sollenberger says, activist and legislative moves to restrict the use of human RFID implants are in motion, and several states already have laws prohibiting implantation of chips.
Hope Katz Gibbs
in Technology, Science, Press
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Reader Comments (1)
In my opinion the government is going to far.Is this not the home of the free? Over the years the government has hacked away at all our country has stood for. We have sons and daughters giving up there lives to protect our country and to keep us free. While congress sit on there backsides thinking how they can take away the same freedom we are fighting for. Now they want to tag us like cattle. I say no, americans stand up and let your voice be heard.