Sunday, March 17, 2024
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Should People Get Identity Chips Implanted Under Their Skins?

Have you heard about microchipping humans? The era of microchip implant in humans has taken countries like Sweden by a storm. We all know that every person that ever walked on Earth is unique. The chromosomes in our DNA can combine in almost limitless numbers of unique patterns to create a new organism. Even identical twins have DNA differences and are not identical. Hence in a few years, your friends or kids might be walking around the streets with their microchips in their hands, perhaps!

The search for our identity has evolved along the ages. We have come a long way. Previously it was all about asking ourselves “who made us” and “why are we here.” Now, modern means of establishing and proving our identity with documents issued by the country are the forefront.

The social strata have differentiated and separated people into rich and poor, eligible, and non-eligible for specified benefits, services, and amenities. With this, a new threat arose: identity theft.

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Hence, to curb this, the scientists came up with something unique.  They do a procedure where they implant a microchip in the human skin, which is a subdermal procedure.

How Does Identity Theft Occur?

Identity theft represents the action of one person to impersonate another, by showing forged proofs of identity.

 

Each country has a different system of collecting and storing the information of the citizens. For example, in the United States, we have a social security number. This unique information defines each citizen.
Hence, people need to be careful about protecting this unique information. Otherwise, this information can be illegally used by others. 
 
And soon enough, an innocent person finds out that they committed a crime. They took a big loan, incorporated a business, etc. And they become liable for the consequences of the action of the fraudster who stole their identity.

How Can We Mitigate Identity Theft? Is Microchip Implant A Solution? 

On one side, all governments across the world are working to make identity documents as difficult to forge as possible. For this purpose, they incorporate various security features, such as:

  • Company holograms printed on the documents,
  • Various type of metallic thread embedded in the paper,
  • A unique kind of paper formulas,
  • Tamper-proof chips that contain personal data.

However, citizens need to educate themselves time and again on how to safeguard their confidential data. They need to be aware of with whom they share it. The internet is the highest risk medium.

Here, identity data can be unethically collected, accessed, and used for wrong purposes. To compensate for this issue, companies operating websites that request people’s identity data install the most advanced cybersecurity systems and software.

But let us go back a paragraph and reiterate one of the security features of modern identity documents: CHIPS.

Can The Microchip Implant Replace Identity Documents As We Know Them?

The answer is yes.

Chips are tiny in size. They are about the size of a grain of rice. Yet, they have a considerable capacity to store data and process commands. Just think of the chip inside your smartphone.

It is small enough to fit on a finger pad. But, it is solely in charge of running your phone, from placing calls, playing games, and accessing the internet.

Thus, even a basic chip model can contain all the salient data about a person. This includes their likeness (photo) and fingerprint records. Considering these abilities of chips to store data, why can’t chips replace identity documents altogether?

Technically, it is quite possible. But the next issue is: where can we store these chips securely, given their petite size?

And proponents of this new type of identification came with the solution: inside the person’s body, as an implant placed under the skin.

Are Implants the Next Step In The Evolution of Identification Documents?

microchip sweden-microchip in hand-AlignThoughts

Implanting microchip into the body may sound unrealistic. It may feel like something out of the TV show Black Mirror. There are complex debates around this issue.

In some hi-tech countries, people are already carrying implants – identification chips issued by the companies they work for.

They no longer have to carry magnetic cards to enter the office building or access restricted areas where only authorized personnel are allowed to enter.

For instance, 80 employees of Three Square Market, a company based in Wisconsin, had implanted with microchips back in 2017. According to reports, they were very much excited about the convenience of this method of accessing computers, locations, and even vending machines.

It is important to note that the employees were free to choose whether they wanted to carry implants.  There was no pressure from the company to do so.

Microchip Implants in Sweden.

Let’s have a look at the microchip implants in Sweden. Sweden introduced microchip implants in the year 2015. Since then, microchips implants have become very popular in Sweden.

The country has always been a step ahead of others when it comes to futuristic technologies. As per the statistics of 2018, about 4000 citizens of Sweden have got microchip implants. However, this number is only increasing with time.

The Swedes implant the microchip in their hands, which costs about $180. Biohax International is dominating the market. The microchip implant uses NFC (near field communication) to send and receive information wirelessly.

For many in Sweden, microchip implants are a way to go cashless and enjoy life hassle-free. Swedes use these implants as a replacement for their gym cards, national IDs, and even train tickets. The scientist and the body piercers insist that the technology is safe.

However, many experts are arguing against it. They say that, no matter how much you secure it, there is also a huge risk of data getting hacked.

With identity chips, things are more complicated. Governments generally want a uniform system of identification for their citizens. Will it be feasible to run two parallel identification systems: the traditional one with identity documents and the hi-tech version based on implants?

This is a question that cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” Also, it is not the purpose of this article to solve it. Instead, I will share some pros and cons of using microchip implants as identification documents:

Pros of Microchip Implant In Humans

Firstly, let’s have a look at some of the advantages of implanting a microchip in humans.

1. Identity Theft Will Virtually Disappear

In today’s world, people can merely touch a screen with the area of the body where the identity chip is placed. This will drastically reduce the opportunities for fraudsters to steal data or identities.

There would still be the issue of securing databases where the information on the chips is stored. But the risk of negligently sharing identity data by regular people virtually disappears.

2. No More Identity Mixes

You must have read cases of babies switched at birth by mistake. This occurs even in the internet age, where birth data is recorded in computers and backed-up in various databases.

Identity mixes would not happen if babies received an identity chip from birth. Furthermore, a simple data reading with a handheld device would establish who the baby is and who their parents are.

Actually, at present, wealthy people in Brazil (a country rife with a crime) implant their children with microchips in their hands to track their location and identity. This is done in an attempt to prevent kidnapping.

3. Easy Access to Medical History

At times, when someone collapses in the street, the first responders have to make critical decisions. This includes making blood transfusions or administering various drugs. However, they cannot do it until they know the patient’s blood group or whether they are allergic to certain medications.

With a microchip implanted under the human skin, the information would be readily available to medical staff. As a result, more lives would be saved.

Cons of Microchip Implant In Humans

Next, let us have a look at some of the disadvantages of microchip implant in humans:

1. Ethical Issues

With microchip in humans, would people be free? Or would a Big Brother government track their every move and action? It is not hard to imagine dictatorial governments abusing the technology to control their people.

George Orwell’s dystopian world depicted in the novel 1984 has already been proven by oppressive regimes in Eastern Europe, North Korea, and South America.

2. Health Issues

Will an identity chip stay in place? Or will it migrate through the body, potentially reaching a vital organ and damaging it? Would it be possible to introduce a virus, by mistake, inside a person’s body together with the chip? There is a distinct possibility for both issues, and we need more research on these topics.

Anti-RFID advocate Katherine Albrecht conducted independent research on lab rodents and dogs. In her self published report, she states that microchips sometimes developed cancerous tumors at the injection site.

3. Religious Issues

One of the most widespread religions on Earth, Christianity, warns against “The Mark of the Beast.” This refers to a sign which all people on the planet will wear as the world approaches Armageddon.

Similarly, other religions have rejected modern tech and even specific medical procedures. These include religions such as Amish and Jehovah’s Witnesses (both present in the United States)

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.” This also means that governments cannot force identity chip implants on people who believe that this action is against their religion.

Conclusion

To summarize, implanting a microchip under a person’s skin is a step into the future. However, it carries its pros and cons. It sounds pretty scary.

Therefore, may people may opt-out of it. Once you choose to get a chip implanted in your body, it can be pretty difficult to get it out. To conclude, the future is coming, but we need not rush to it.

Key Takeaways

  • Identity data can be unethically collected, accessed, and used for wrong purposes.
  • Governments are trying to keep identity data as safe as possible.
  • However, citizens need to educate themselves on how to safeguard their confidential data.
  • To curb identity theft, the scientists came up with something called as microchipping.
  • Chips are tiny in size. They are about the size of a grain of rice.
  • Implanting microchip into the body may sound unrealistic.
  • In some hi-tech countries, people are already carrying implants – identification chips issued by the companies they work for.
  • The microchip implant uses NFC (near field communication) to send and receive information wirelessly.
  • Swedes use these implants as a replacement for their gym cards, national IDs, and even train tickets.
  • There are also various pros and cons of microchipping humans.
  • The risk of negligently sharing identity data by regular people virtually disappears.
  • Furthermore, a simple data reading with a handheld device would establish who the baby is and who their parents are.
  • With a microchip implanted under the human skin, the information would be readily available to medical staff. As a result, more lives would be saved.
  • On the other hand, it is not hard to imagine dictatorial governments abusing the technology to control their people.
  • There are also various religious and health-related issues with regards to microchip implants.
  • In conclusion, once you choose to implant a microchip in your hand or body, it can be pretty difficult to get it out. So be absolutely sure of what you’re heading into.

Your Thoughts?

What do you think of microchips in Sweden? Would you like to have an identity chip implanted in your hand under the skin? Or do you think that this would be a significant intrusion on a person’s privacy and freedom? Do share your views in the comments.

 

Silvia Constantin
Silvia Constantin
SEO and Content writer, translator, dreamer. These are some of the words which describe Silvia. She believes in the power of words - both for good and for evil. She also believes that we can all choose to use words in a positive manner, to share information, ideas, feelings, and truth. There is nothing more rewarding than to be the instrument through which knowledge is shared among other people. From this point of view, she considers herself in a privileged position of trust, which she strives never to betray.

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