Chipping Away at Privacy?
The risks — and rewards — of implanting microchips in people
An icy sense of dread suddenly grips you, as you frantically search your pockets. Not again! At some point or another, each of us has endured the humbling experience of misplacing an office key, swipe card, or fob. But for many of the 2,000 employees at Epicenter, an innovative Swedish startup company, this scenario could become a worry of the past.
At Epicenter, employees can now receive a new type of business key — a microchip implanted in between one’s thumb and index finger, according to a recently released Associated Press report. Since January 2015, 150 Epicenter employees have elected to be microchipped at ‘microchipping parties,’ using syringe injections of microchips that are roughly the size of a grain of rice. According to the AP, this technology is dual-programmed to operate as a swipe key and credit card that can ‘open doors, operate printers, or buy smoothies with a wave of the hand.’
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