Fed up with carrying cumbersome keychains and bulky wallets? Why not copy a growing number of Swedes and implant tiny microchips into your fingers?
Instead of searching into the depths of your pockets for your gym keycard or scrolling through your phone for your concert ticket, you can simply swipe your thumb.
These tiny chips were designed to help make life easier and can store all sorts of personal information: emergency contact details, social media profiles, subway cards, bus tickets, gym IDs, and more.
The technology itself has been around for a few years but is growing in popularity, particularly in Sweden. And with more people hopping on the biotech bandwagon, an expanding number of companies could soon start developing apps, tools, and even devices to help accommodate this growing trend.
How the procedure works
Roughly the size of a grain of rice, these microchips are surgically inserted into the user’s thumb. The procedure costs around 180 USD and only takes a few minutes.
Already, more than 4,000 Swedes have signed up for this new technology, with more requests coming in every day. Biohax International, a leader in the microchip field, has stated it’s having trouble keeping up with the demand.
Speaking to NPR, Biohax founder Jowan Osterlund said that having these microchips inserted saves time and clears up clutter.
“Having different cards and tokens verifying your identity to a bunch of different systems just doesn’t make sense,” Osterlund said. “Using a chip means that the hyper-connected surroundings that you live in every day can be streamlined.”
The growing need for biotech
In spite of all the potential data risks, more and more people are starting to store their passwords, various profiles, and email information on their mobile devices. In fact, more than 63% of Americans use a mobile banking app, with 14% checking it at least once a day.
It’s not a stretch to say that cash is no longer king. With Apple Pay, Alipay, Venmo, Google Wallet, and other accessible apps, it’s simply easier (and faster) to use your smartphone than to depend on a bundle of credit cards and cash in your pockets.
There’s definitely a logical argument to be made for this new technology. After all, in the evolution of paper to plastic to digital, biometry seems like the next likely step. That said, with so many reports of data mining, hacking, and theft over the last few years, it’s natural to have reservations.
Is biotechnology more secure than your smartphone?
While the pros and cons of inserting microchips into your body are debatable, the real question is whether this new technology is safe.
The rise in recent data theft suggests we should be wary. With smartwatches, fitness trackers, and other health apps becoming more commonplace, privacy experts are worried that hackers—who already have more access to people’s highly sensitive health info than ever before—could use this new technology to expose people’s highly private, highly personal data on an unprecedented scale.
A good indicator of possible outcomes could be inferred from the modern medical field. While many medical IoT devices have been implemented to great effect, the majority of these devices tend to carry a substantial risk.
Smart cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers have long been known to be highly vulnerable to hackers, and more recently smart infusion pumps were found to have a gaping flaw that could allow hackers to easily (and remotely) change the system settings.
One study by Trend Micro found that more than 100,000 medical devices in use today are currently unsecured. And this isn’t even taking into account how much data the microchip manufacturers could log by literally having their devices inserted into your hand.
Your privacy is more important than convenience
When it comes to embracing new technology, Sweden’s usually ahead of the curb. As a country that’s known for being extremely pragmatic, this new trend could eventually set the stage for worldwide adoption.
That said, the potential privacy implications are numerous, and it’s worth approaching this new technology with a heavy dose of skepticism. After all, your privacy is important—and definitely not worth risking for the sake of convenience.
Comments
Huge question, what happens when your “chip” needs an upgrade? Are you going to pay for another procedure which is going to cost more?
Brad, what is wrong with your occasional testicle? I hope your ok mate
This generation…. You don’t realise what’s coming!
Planet prison a true matrix.
Hopefully humanity wakes up and will use technology for the good of all
And Total control begins
i’m dumbfounded that people can’t see this is a method of control
We should not allow this
It’s nice express VPN
Walk by faith not by side
I don’t know how use this app
Hi Omar, please visit our support site. There’s loads of good info there, and the Support Team will help you get it sorted, pronto!
Brad seems to think we’re all stupid
No!!! Stop the madness. Refuse the control program.
Good for us- the joke is on us if we accept. It seems like WW2 with numbers on each person.
I just sent a critical comment but it seems you prefer something like that 😘 speechless and conform.
Thinking helps – where will all this lead to??
Go out into nature, eat chips if you like them but don’t be a fool and let them into your body.
Horrifying!!
Big brother is watching even closer then.
One switch and you are switched off, if not in line with the power.
We should get more in touch with nature then with microchips. Touch the ground, a plant, a tree or just watch the nature.
Wow, I’m sure everybody’s got smth 2 say bout this, esp those of us concerned bout our privacy and security, VPN users, my 1st thought was this stuff sounds spooky, more like an invasion than protection, but just like anything else, if it’s stored tight then there’s no reason why it wouldn’t work, & being right here in my person,v esp under my skin, seems like a pretty safe place.
anybody can cut your chipped finger off and use your chip.
Yeah so this is why I pay for VPN.. just get myself microchipped… in a rel world LOL;-)
When I’m paying it said my information is save
😘😘😘😘
😘😘😘😘😘
Aaaaa
Yea nah, I am not livestock to be managed and farmed, which is where this will go after the promise of ‘freeing yourself’ from the burdens of so many cards is over. Much like censorship going on with big tech, if you don’t toe the party line no matter how rich you are they shut you off from your wealth.
Revelation Chapter 13
End time prophecy coming to pass..
RFID = Mark of the beast! Must be condemned ! Cancer in the body, look it up!