Technology continues to become engrained in our everyday lives. By some association we are interacting with it every day. From the phones in our pockets to the smartwatches on our wrists, it is no shock that now, for some people, it will soon become a small piece of them. More than 4,000 people native to Sweden have implanted a tiny microchip in their hand the size of a grain of rice. The chips typically are inserted into the skin just above each user's thumb, using a syringe like that used for giving vaccinations. This procedure amounts to the costs of $180, leading many Swedes both intrigued and eager to line up to get their microchips. The country's main chipping company says, “it can't keep up with the number of requests”.
RFID implants (pictured) use Near Field Communication technology which is the same as in contactless credit cards or mobile payments. It is roughly the same size as a grain of rice and the procedure costs about $180.
The chips have become such a high demand for the Swedes because of the ease they bring to one’s everyday routine. Think back a few years to when Apple and other companies began to release payments that could be made from a customer's phone with a single touch. This eliminated the need for people to carry around cash and credit cards. That combined with a sticky wallet for the back of your phone and you were left carrying around one single thing with everything you needed. But what happened when you left your phone at home or lost it? Essentially, in laymen’s terms...you lost your entire identity. Now imagine some type of system in which you could never misplace your license, credit cards, ID, or anything on your phone or in your wallet that contained such sensitive information. Well, in Sweden the answer lies in a tiny microchip in your hand that went wherever you did. This feature is what makes so many Swedes want to get the microchip. The ease it brings to their daily routine outweighs any risk that may come from the chip being that the chip can hold all personal information about the person, emergency contact information, credit cards, ID’s, train tickets, social media accounts, and access to buildings and cars.
I see the appeal the chip brings with it, but what concerns me is the privacy issues of my personal information being on a single microchip. Sweden is a country comfortable with the sharing of private information which is what made the introduction of the chip so easy into their society. However, other countries do not have their same feelings towards the matter. Many argue the vulnerability of the chips to hackers and how accessible personal information will be to them. Moreover, since everything collects user data, what will companies do with the data they collect from my chip?
The largest concern of mine is where does it stop? Will the next version of the microchip be able to read my body's immune system and diagnose me without having to go to the doctors? Then, what is the need for annual checkups if the microchip can send a message to my phone informing me, I am sick. Or, if the microchip is always with me, how can I disconnect from it? Put differently, with my phone, if I want to disconnect from the world for a few hours I turn it off or leave it at home, but with the microchip in my skin I will never be able to. Ultimately, although I see many upsides to the microchip, I personally will most likely never get one inserted in my hand, I am just fine with my phone and my wallet.
Work Cited:
Durden, Tyler. “Thousands In Sweden Have Implanted Microchips Under Their Skin.” Zero
Hedge, 20 May 2018,
Ma, Alexandra. “Thousands of People in Sweden Are Embedding Microchips under Their Skin
to Replace ID Cards.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 14 May 2018,
3 comments:
I think the implementation of the RFID devices in Sweden is definitely something that is going to be increasing in demand in the future. We have been microchipping our pets for years, but the concept of chipping a human is a very different situation. I agree, I don’t see myself getting a microchip anytime soon, I feel like although the convenience is nice that there are more cons than pros in this case. One thing I feel like many people don’t think about is the risks of having that chip in your body. With the microchip being the size of only a grain of rice, it is very easy for that object to move around. The chip is electronic so there is always the hazard that it could malfunction inside your body. I know during certain medical procedures such as MRI’s all metal needs to be removed and that is going to be a problem if the patient has a microchip. Looking further into the microchip, I discovered that there’s a possibility of electromagnetic interference. this typically is not a problem unless the patient has other devices implanted such as a heart defibrillator. Something interfering with the functionality of a heart defibrillator can mean life or death for someone. I doubt that I will be getting one of these microchips, as it does not seem like the most secure thing to have implanted.
RFID microchips are a topic which I feel to be an impressive technological advance, but at the same time, it is a scary one. The power they hold seems endless, but will they ever die or are they working 24/7 for the rest of a users life? What is their battery life? I agree that as RFID users, could we ever be able to know what happens with this intangible data of ours which companies take and use to their advantage? The ability for any entity to freely view my data, and some of it unknowingly to me is invasive and I believe many citizens in the United States would be against this for privacy reasons. At what point is a technology like this considered to be a breach of privacy? Sure, the convenience of never losing a phone or wallet again sounds appealing, but the information stored through RFID chips seems too extreme, because as a user, will you ever get notifications to your brain that the chip is collecting data at a specific moment? I believe that with an advancement like this, the outcome of lost jobs in multiple industries is inevitable. The medical industry could be at risk to RFID chips giving diagnoses, and that is an industry which seems untouchable because of its eternal need. Lastly, RFID chips seem to me as an artificial mind inside of your own, and hence makes me reference the Netflix tv show, Black Mirror. Black Mirror depicts the future state of what seems to be fascinating modern advancements. In the future, they are proven non-beneficial for mankind and pose problems which were never thought out before.
I understand the appeal of having a microchip in your hand. That microchip holds everything that is most important to you and it is close to impossible to steal. I come from an area where stealing is a daily issue I need watch out for and knowing that this type of technology actually exists is mind boggling. Do I really want everything about me in one place? Now that it could be an option I would say no. I agree that the Sweden is probably a lot safer than where I go but I even now, I don’t keep everything on my phone or in one place. I feel like it would be painful to have a chip implanted in your hand. I use my hands everyday and there is very little I don’t do with my hands. If we lived in a world where I felt safe enough that a chip implanted in my hand could be a way I pay for everything and have everything I need to live. I would also be afraid that the government would be listening to everything 24/7, we would all be chipped so nothing is truly safe. I am surprised that the Swedish had advanced in technology to the point where they are implanting these tiny powerful microchips into citizens. I am equally surprised about the volume of people who want these small chips. I see the appeal of the small chips but did Sweden really think about the repercussions, technology is always advancing which would mean that the microchip would need to be updated with the times.
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