Implants: Mark of the Beast or Handy-Dandy Tool?

Microchip implants have been in use with animals for over a decade now. The implants have a microchip that stores data and along with a radio frequency identifier (RFID). A scanner reads the chip, and information like the animal’s name, identity, owner – even health records – can be accessed.   It’s now very commonplace to ‘chip’ your animal, so that it can’t be lost or stolen. It’s been proposed that microchip implants would be a good way for humans to electronically – and permanently – store the same information that pets have on their chips. But the chips on humans would also store financial information and electronic keys. Microchip implants into people offer a lot of potential benefits – you will never again lose your driver’s license or debit card. But there are many privacy, health, and social issues as well.

Microchip Identity Theft

Since the chip emits a radio signal, there’s the possibility that a third party could steal your chip’s identity, replicate it, and then impersonate you. Increasing the security would make a larger chip – the chips that go into pets are only the size of a grain of rice. A ten-year study on implants in mice show that some mice develop cancer around the chip. Though the radio frequency is very low and weak, it is still exposing flesh to a constant broadcast. The chip can also travel into the body’s tissue, and get too far from the skin to give a good broadcast. Fixing this would require surgery. There are also social and religious issues. Many Jews and Muslims forbid any kind of body modification, making it impossible for their followers to be chipped. This could lead to a kind of technology-based discrimination. Even though implants offer a lot of benefits, it looks like they’ll only be found in animals for years to come.