UK companies may implant employees with microchips
Would you volunteer?
By Rob Thubron,
A hot potato: Would you allow your employer to implant a microchip under
your skin? It’s a scenario that could soon be faced by hundreds of
thousands of UK workers after two firms said they were in talks with
British companies about using the technology.
UK-based BioTeq told The Guardian that it had already fitted 150
implants in the country. While most were for individuals, some financial
and engineering firms have had the chips implanted in their staff as a
way of improving security.
Implanted in the skin between the thumb and forefinger, the chips use
RFID and NFC, letting them perform tasks such as opening certain doors
and starting cars. They can also be used to store medical data, which
could be accessed if the person was involved in an accident.
Swedish firm Biohax is also involved in the microchipping business. The
Daily Telegraph reports that it was in talks with a number of UK legal
and financial firms who want to offer the implants to employees. One of
these is said to be a major financial services with hundreds of
thousands of staff.
“These companies have sensitive documents they are dealing with,” said
Biohax founder and former professional bodypiercer Jowan Österlund.
“[The chips] would allow them to set restrictions for whoever.”
Biohax’s chips cost £150 (around $193) each and are about the size of a
grain of rice. Österlund says that big companies with over 200,000
employees could offer them to workers as an alternative to carrying
around an ID pass, claiming they will save firms money.
The Guardian notes that Britain’s biggest employer organization and main
trade union body have spoken out against the microchips. Not only do
they say companies have more immediate priorities, but there’s also a
concern that such technology could eventually be used to monitor staff
and keep a constant eye on their whereabouts. There's also the fear that
some workers might feel pressured into getting chipped.
Last year, Wisconsin-based Three Square Market became the first company
in the US to microchip employees. The chips allow staff to make
contactless, cashless payments at special vending machines on site.
Working with Swedish rail firm Statens Järnvägar, Biohax lets passengers
use implanted chips instead of tickets on the Scandinavian country’s
trains. An Australian biohacker carried out a DIY version of the
implanting procedure last year, but transit authorities canceled his
chip, which was cut out of a travel card.
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