microchip implant (human)

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A human microchip implant is any electronic device implanted subcutaneously (subdermally) usually via an injection. Examples include an identifying integrated circuit RFID device encased in silicate glass which is implanted in the body of a human being. This type of subdermal implant usually contains a unique ID number that can be linked to information contained in an external database, such as identity document, criminal record, medical history, medications, address book, and other potential uses.

History

1998: The first experiments with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) implant were carried out in 1998 by the British scientist Kevin Warwick.{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9901/14/chipman.idg/ |work=CNN |title=Is human chip implant wave of the future? |date=January 13, 1999 |access-date=May 12, 2010}}{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/professor-has-worlds-first-silicon-chip-implant-1174101.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/professor-has-worlds-first-silicon-chip-implant-1174101.html |archive-date=2022-05-14 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Professor has world's first silicon chip implant |date=26 August 1998 |website=independent.co.uk}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/1998/08/professor-cyborg/ |title=Professor Cyborg |date=1998-08-25 |magazine=Wired}}{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/158007.stm |title=BBC News – Sci/Tech – Technology gets under the skin |website=news.bbc.co.uk}}{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9808/28/armchip.idg/index.html?eref=sitesearch |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729002534/http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9808/28/armchip.idg/index.html?eref=sitesearch |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 29, 2017 |title=CNN – Cyberfuturist plants chip in arm to test human-computer interaction – August 28, 1998 |first=Jana |last=Sanchez-Klein |website=CNN}} His implant was used to open doors, switch on lights, and cause verbal output within a building. After nine days the implant was removed and has since been held in the Science Museum in London.{{Cite web |title=National Museum of Science & Industry Annual Report |url=https://www.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/annual-report-accounts-2000-01.pdf |website=Science Museum Group}}
March 18, 2004: Nokia, Philips (now under NXP Semiconductors) and Sony established the NFC Forum, a non-profit industry formed to advance the use of NFC wireless interaction in consumer electronics, mobile devices and PCs. Standards include the four distinct tag types that provide different communication speeds and capabilities covering flexibility, memory, security, data retention and write endurance. NFC Forum promotes implementation and standardization of NFC technology to ensure interoperability between devices and services.{{Cite web |last=Hamblen |first=Matt |date=2012-12-19 |title=A short history of NFC |url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2493888/a-short-history-of-nfc.html |access-date=2020-09-24 |website=Computerworld |language=en}}
2018: VivoKey Technologies{{cite web |title=VivoKey.com |url=http://www.vivokey.com |publisher=VivoKey Technologies Inc.}} developed the first cryptographically secure human implantable NFC transponders in 2018. The Spark is an AES128 bit capable ISO/IEC 15693 2 mm by 12 mm bioglass encased injectable device. The Flex One is an implantable contactless secure element, capable of running Java Card applets (software programs) including Bitcoin wallets, PGP, OATH OTP, U2F, WebAuthn, etc. It is encapsulated in a flat, flexible 7 mm × 34 mm × 0.4 mm flat biopolymer shell. Applets can be deployed to the Flex One before or after implantation.
28 August 2020: Neuralink CEO Elon Musk, held a broadcast showcasing a pig with a coin-sized computer chip in her brain to demonstrate the company's plans to create a working brain-to-machine interface for humans.{{Cite news |date=2020-08-29 |title=Elon Musk unveils pig with chip in its brain |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53956683 |access-date=2020-09-23}}
2021: Dsruptive Subdermals tested a COVID-19 vaccine passport in their bioglass-coated NFC microchip designed to be implanted in the subcutaneous tissue.{{cite web |title=DSruptive – Implantable chip implants |url=https://dsruptive.com/ |website=Dsruptive Subdermals}}{{cite news |last1=Aitken |first1=Peter |title=Swedish COVID vaccine pass microchip maker addresses privacy concerns |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/swedish-covid-vaccine-pass-microchip-privacy-concerns |work=FOXBusiness |date=23 December 2021}} It has been demonstrated by its managing director Hannes Sjöblad who wears the chip in his arm, but the product was not offered for sale.{{cite web |title=The Covid-19 passport microchip |url=https://www.scmp.com/video/coronavirus/3160110/covid-19-passport-implanted-your-skin-using-nfc-enabled-microchip |website=South China Morning Post}}

= Chipped individuals =

File:Dr Mark Gasson has an RFID microchip implanted in his left hand by a surgeon (March 16 2009).jpg (March 16, 2009)]]Several hobbyists, scientists and business personalities have placed RFID microchip implants into their hands or had them inserted by others.

2005, Amal Graafstra: In early March 2005 hobbyist Amal Graafstra{{Cite web |url=http://amal.net/ |title=Amal Graafstra – Technologist, Author & Double RFID Implantee |website=amal.net |language=en-US |access-date=2017-05-26}} implanted a 125 kHz EM4102 bioglass-encased RFID transponder into his left hand. It was used with an access control system to gain entry to his office. Soon after in June 2005 he implanted a more advanced HITAG S 2048 low frequency transponder. In 2006 he authored the book RFID Toys,{{Cite web |url=http://rfidtoys.com/ |title=RFID Toys Forum |website=Dangerous Things Forum |language=en |access-date=2017-05-26}} Graafstra uses his implants to access his home, open car doors, and to log on to his computer. With public interest growing, in 2013 he launched biohacking company Dangerous Things{{Cite web |url=http://dangerousthings.com/ |title=Dangerous Things |website=Dangerous Things |language=en-us |access-date=2017-05-26}} and crowdfunded the world's first implantable NFC transponder in 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-xnt-implantable-nfc-chip |title=The xNT implantable NFC chip |website=Indiegogo |language=en-US |access-date=2017-05-26}} He has also spoken at various events and promotional gigs{{Citation |last=bpg |title=PRMT {{!}} Ghost In the Shell|date=2017-03-09|url=https://vimeo.com/207688901|access-date=2017-05-26}} including TEDx,{{Citation |last=TEDx Talks |title=Biohacking – the forefront of a new kind of human evolution: Amal Graafstra at TEDxSFU |date=2013-10-17 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DxVWhFLI6E |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/7DxVWhFLI6E |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live |access-date=2017-05-26}}{{cbignore}} and built a smartgun that only fires after reading his implant.{{Citation |last=Motherboard |title=Who Killed the Smart Gun? |date=2017-03-23 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXtqBVbxmto&t=33m39s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/sXtqBVbxmto |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live |access-date=2017-05-26}}{{cbignore}}
2006, Mikey Sklar: Mikey Sklar had a chip implanted into his left hand and filmed the procedure.{{Citation |last=The Good Life Lab |title=RFID Implant – Fox News – Mikey Sklar |date=2006-05-12 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2gKJeM6Ihw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/w2gKJeM6Ihw |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live |access-date=2019-07-24}}{{cbignore}}
2009, Mark Gasson: On 16 March 2009 British scientist Mark Gasson had a glass capsule RFID device surgically implanted into his left hand. In April 2010 Gasson's team demonstrated how a computer virus could wirelessly infect his implant and then be transmitted on to other systems.{{Cite book |doi=10.1109/ISTAS.2010.5514651 |chapter=Human Enhancement: Could you become infected with a computer virus? |title=2010 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society |pages=61–68 |year=2010 |last1=Gasson |first1=M. N. |isbn=978-1-4244-7777-7 |s2cid=3098538 |chapter-url=http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/29329/1/GASSON_ISTAS2010.pdf}}
2013, Tim Cannon: In October 2013, Cannon became the first person to be implanted with the Grindhouse-designed biometric sensor known as Circadia, a procedure which was performed by body modification artist Steve Haworth in Essen, Germany.{{cite news |last1=Lallanilla |first1=Marc |title='Biohacker' Implants Chip in Arm |url=https://www.livescience.com/40892-biohacker-tim-cannon-cyborg.html |accessdate=18 July 2017 |work=Live Science |date=November 1, 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/cyborg-people-who-implanted-tech-2014-8?op=1 |title=Cyborg People Who Implanted Tech – Business Insider |publisher=Businessinsider.com |accessdate=2015-04-09}}{{cite web |url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/10/18/the-brave-new-worldofbiohacking.html |title=The brave new world of biohacking | Al Jazeera America |publisher=America.aljazeera.com |accessdate=2015-04-09}}
2014, Martijn Wismeijer: Dutch marketing manager for Bitcoin ATM manufacturer General Bytes, placed RFID chips in both of his hands to store his Bitcoin private keys and business card.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-11/11/mr-bitcoin-nfc-implant |title=Hand-implanted NFC chips open this man's bitcoin wallet |magazine=Wired UK |first=Liat |last=Clark |date=November 11, 2014 |access-date=February 15, 2015}}
2014, Nikolas Badminton: In June 2014, during the From Now Conference{{Cite web |title=I Watched A guy Get a Chip Implanted in his Hand and It Was Pretty Cool |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/i-watched-a-guy-get-a-chip-implanted-in-his-hand-and-it-wasnt-even-that-weird/ |last=Gray |first=John |date=2014-06-10 |website=Vice |language=en |access-date=2020-05-18}} in Vancouver, Canada, event organizer and futurist Nikolas Badminton had an xNT chip implanted into his left hand on stage by noted biohacker Amal Graafstra.{{Citation |title=Futurist Nikolas Badminton gets implanted with a microchip |date=27 June 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSWRr-Y0sLs |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/QSWRr-Y0sLs |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live |language=en |access-date=2020-05-18}}{{cbignore}}
2015, Jonathan Oxer: Self-implanted an RFID chip in his arm using a veterinary implantation tool.{{cite web |url=http://jon.oxer.com.au/blog/id/86 |title=Jondo the Mandroid is RFID enabled |access-date=2015-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220170951/http://jon.oxer.com.au/blog/id/86 |archive-date=2017-02-20 |url-status=dead}}
2015, Patric Lanhed: sent a "bio-payment" of one euro worth of Bitcoin using a chip embedded in his hand.{{Cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-guy-implanted-his-bitcoin-wallet-and-made-a-payment-with-his-hand/ |title=This Guy Implanted His Bitcoin Wallet and Made a Payment With His Hand |first=Jordan |last=Pearson |date=October 30, 2015 |access-date=November 2, 2015}}
2016, Hannes Sjöblad: Biohacker Hannes Sjöblad has been experimenting with near field communication (NFC) chip implants since 2015. During his talk at Echappée Voléé 2016 in Paris, Sjöblad disclosed that he has also implanted himself with a chip between his forefinger and thumb and uses it to unlock doors, make payments, unlock his phone, and essentially replacing anything that is put in one's pockets.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lesechos.fr/19/02/2016/LesEchosWeekEnd/00019-010-ECWE_au-pays-des-especes-en-voie-de-disparition.htm |title=Au pays des espèces en voie de disparition |date=2016-02-19 |website=lesechos.fr |access-date=2016-07-07}} Additionally, Sjöblad has hosted several "implant parties," where interested individuals can also be implanted with the chip.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30144072 |title=The rise of the Swedish cyborgs – BBC News |language=en-GB |access-date=2016-07-07 |work=BBC News |date=2014-12-10 |last1=Wakefield |first1=Jane}} In October 2021, Sjöblad appeared in a video interview with Aftonbladet where he demonstrated how he receives a QR code when he scans a microchip implant in his arm that contains his EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC).{{cite news |title=Få covidbeviset under huden – går att få som ett chip – Aftonbladet TV |url=https://tv.aftonbladet.se/video/334510/faa-covidbeviset-under-huden-gaar-att-faa-som-ett-chip |language=sv}}{{cite news |title=Facing COVID passport mandate, more Swedes get microchip implants |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/facing-covid-passport-mandate-more-swedes-get-microchip-implants/2436048 |work=www.aa.com.tr}}
Marcel Varallo had an NXP chip coated in Bioglass 8625 inserted into his hand between his forefinger and thumb allowing him to open secure elevators and doors at work, print from secure printers, unlock his mobile phone and home, and store his digital business card for transfer to mobile phones enabled for NFC.{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/it-expert-marcel-varallo-inserts-microchip-in-hand-for-technology-experiment/news-story/0a809c0bc341a3a22ea30cc46d353cff?sv=b559f5b6a1ca4df5f4ac431ce12409da |title=Heraldsun.com.au – Subscribe to the Herald Sun for exclusive stories |website=www.heraldsun.com.au}}
2021, Shain Lakin: In late September 2021 during the Security BSides Perth 2021 Conference, Hacker Shain Lakin demonstrated using an NXP Semiconductors chip inserted into his hand to remotely trigger ignition of a thermite charge in order to destroy a solid-state drive (SSD) inside a personal computer.{{cite web |url=https://securityboulevard.com/2021/12/bsides-tallinns-best-of-bsides-2021-bsides-perth-2021-shain-lakins-offensive-rfid-nfc/ |title=BSides Tallinn's Best Of BSides 2021: BSides Perth 2021- Shain Lakin's 'Offensive RFID/NFC' – Security Boulevard |website=www.securityboulevard.com |date=13 December 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.x90x90.net/tools/2022/09/19/Biohacking.html |title=Hacking with an NFC Implant – Offensive Bio Implants |website=www.x90x90.net |date=19 September 2022}}

Types of implants

Brain implant
Skin
Dermal implant (on the skin): Invisible transdermal patch{{cite news |last1=Weintraub |first1=Karen |title=Invisible Ink Could Reveal whether Kids Have Been Vaccinated |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/invisible-ink-could-reveal-whether-kids-have-been-vaccinated/ |work=Scientific American |language=en}}
Sub-dermal implants (under the skin): Bioglass coated NFC chip injected under the skin.
Dental implant{{cite news |title=Chip in tooth – scientists point way to new identity tag |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2006/feb/28/uknews |work=the Guardian |date=28 February 2006 |language=en}}

Usage

For Microchip implants that are encapsulated in silicate glass, there exists multiple methods to embed the device subcutaneously ranging from placing the microchip implant in a syringe or trocar{{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-032303247-6.10030-9 |chapter=Endoscopic Approaches to Gynecologic Disease |title=General Gynecology |year=2007 |last1=Milad |first1=Magdy |last2=Tu |first2=Frank |last3=Epstein |first3=Lee |last4=Bradley |first4=Linda D. |pages=755–784 |isbn=978-0-323-03247-6}} and piercing under the flesh (subdermal) then releasing the syringe to using a cutting tool such as a surgical scalpel to cut open subdermal and positioning the implant in the open wound.

A list of popular uses for microchip implants are as follows;

Address book
Cryptocurrency wallet{{Cite web |last=Umoh |first=Ruth |date=2018-04-13 |title=Why this guy paid $75 to store bitcoin under his skin |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/13/why-this-guy-paid-75-to-store-bitcoin-under-his-skin.html |access-date=2021-04-27 |website=CNBC |language=en}}
Keycard{{Cite journal |last1=Shaik |first1=Idrish |last2=Chilukuri |last3=Tejaswi |date=2018-03-03 |title=Door Access Security System Using NFC Technology |url=https://www.irjet.net/archives/V5/i3/IRJET-V5I375.pdf |journal=International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology |volume=5 |pages=320–324}}
Medical history/medical records
Medical identification tag
Payment cards{{Cite web |title=This Guy Just Implanted a Payments Chip in His Hand, Literally [VIDEO] |url=https://bankinnovation.net/allposts/biz-lines/payments/next-gen-payments-mobile-wearable-implantable-video/ |access-date=2020-09-25 |website=bankinnovation.net |date=25 May 2016}}{{Cite web |title=Implantable credit card RFID chips: convenient, but creepy |url=https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/rfid-chips-convenient-but-creepy-1273/ |access-date=2020-09-25 |website=CreditCards.com |language=en-US}}
Travel cards{{Cite web |date=2018-03-16 |title=Bio-hacker who implanted Opal Card into hand fined for not using valid ticket |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-16/opal-card-implant-man-pleads-guilty-transport-offences/9555608 |access-date=2020-09-25 |website=www.abc.net.au |language=en-AU}}

Other uses either cosmetic or medical may also include;

= Digital identity =

RFID implants using NFC technologies have been used as access cards ranging for car door entry to building access. Secure identity has also been used to encapsulate or impersonate a users identity via secure element or related technologies.

= Medical records =

Researchers have examined microchip implants in humans in the medical field and they indicate that there are potential benefits and risks to incorporating the device in the medical field. For example, it could be beneficial for noncompliant patients but still poses great risks for potential misuse of the device.{{cite journal |last1=Eltorai |first1=Adam E. M. |last2=Fox |first2=Henry |last3=McGurrin |first3=Emily |last4=Guang |first4=Stephanie |title=Microchips in Medicine: Current and Future Applications |journal=BioMed Research International |date=2016 |volume=2016 |pages=1–7 |doi=10.1155/2016/1743472 |pmid=27376079 |pmc=4914739 |doi-access=free}}

Destron Fearing, a subsidiary of Digital Angel, initially developed the technology for the VeriChip.Smith, Richard M. [http://www.computerbytesman.com/biometrics/verichip.htm “Tough Sell Ahead for the VeriChip Implant ID System.”]{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025021724/http://www.computerbytesman.com/biometrics/verichip.htm |date=October 25, 2007 }}, Computer Bytes Man. 27 Dec. 2001. 16 Oct. 2007

In 2004, the VeriChip implanted device and reader were classified as Class II: General controls with special controls by the FDA;{{cite web |title=KO33440: Designation of VeriChip as Class II with special controls |url=https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf3/k033440.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124035520/http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf3/K033440.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 24, 2012 |publisher=FDA |date=October 12, 2004}} that year the FDA also published a draft guidance describing the special controls required to market such devices.{{cite web |title=Class II Special Controls Guidance Document: Implantable Radiofrequency Transponder System for Patient Identification and Health Information |url=https://www.fda.gov/downloads/medicaldevices/deviceregulationandguidance/guidancedocuments/ucm072191.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710201325/http://www.fda.gov/downloads/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/GuidanceDocuments/ucm072191.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 10, 2009 |publisher=FDA |date=December 10, 2004}}

About the size of a grain of rice, the device was typically implanted between the shoulder and elbow area of an individual's right arm. Once scanned at the proper frequency, the chip responded with a unique 16-digit number which could be then linked with information about the user held on a database for identity verification, medical records access and other uses. The insertion procedure was performed under local anesthetic in a physician's office.{{cite web |url=http://www.healthlinkinfo.com/faq/#4._Question:_Where_is_the_Health_Link_inserted |title=Verichip Consumer FAQ |access-date=2009-08-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802111839/http://www.healthlinkinfo.com/faq/ |archive-date=August 2, 2009}}{{cite journal |last1=Halamka |first1=J |last2=Juels |first2=A |last3=Stubblefield |first3=A |last4=Westhues |first4=J |title=The security implications of VeriChip cloning. |journal=Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association |date=2006 |volume=13 |issue=6 |pages=601–7 |doi=10.1197/jamia.M2143 |pmid=16929037 |pmc=1656959}}

Privacy advocates raised concerns regarding potential abuse of the chip, with some warning that adoption by governments as a compulsory identification program could lead to erosion of civil liberties, as well as identity theft if the device should be hacked.{{cite news |title=Human-implantable RFID chips: Some ethical and privacy concerns |url=http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/human-implantable-rfid-chips-some-ethical-and-privacy-concerns |work=Healthcare IT News |date=30 July 2007 |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Westra |first1=BL |title=Radio frequency identification. |journal=The American Journal of Nursing |date=March 2009 |volume=109 |issue=3 |pages=34–6 |doi=10.1097/01.NAJ.0000346925.67498.a4 |pmid=19240491}} Another ethical dilemma posed by the technology, is that people with dementia could possibly benefit the most from an implanted device that contained their medical records, but issues of informed consent are the most difficult in precisely such people.{{cite journal |last1=Mordini |first1=E |last2=Ottolini |first2=C |title=Body identification, biometrics and medicine: ethical and social considerations. |journal=Annali dell'Istituto Superiore di Sanità |date=2007 |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=51–60 |pmid=17536154 |url=http://www.iss.it/publ/anna/2007/1/43151.pdf}}

In June 2007, the American Medical Association declared that "implantable radio frequency identification (RFID) devices may help to identify patients, thereby improving the safety and efficiency of patient care, and may be used to enable secure access to patient clinical information",{{cite web |url=http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/467/ceja5a07.doc |title=American Medical Association CEJA Report 5-A-07}} but in the same year, news reports linking similar devices to cancer caused in laboratory animals.{{cite news |last=Lewan |first=Todd |title=Chip Implants Linked to Animal Tumours |date=September 8, 2007 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090800997_pf.html |access-date=2010-06-08}}

In 2010, the company, by then called PositiveID, withdrew the product from the market due to poor sales.Edwards, Jim. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100718132508/http://industry.bnet.com/pharma/10008965/down-with-the-chip-positiveid-axes-its-scary-medical-records-implant/ "Down With the Chip: PositiveID Axes Its Scary Medical Records"]. bNET. July 15, 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2017

In January 2012, PositiveID sold the chip assets to a company called VeriTeQ that was owned by Scott Silverman, the former CEO of Positive ID.{{cite web |title=VeriTeQ Acquisition Corporation Acquires Implantable, FDA-Cleared VeriChip Technology and Health Link Personal Health Record from PositiveID Corporation |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120117005610/en/VeriTeQ-Acquisition-Corporation-Acquires-Implantable-FDA-Cleared-VeriChip |publisher=VeriTeQ via BusinessWire |language=en |date=January 17, 2012}}

In 2016, JAMM Technologies acquired the chip assets from VeriTeQ; JAMM's business plan was to partner with companies selling implanted medical devices and use the RFID tags to monitor and identify the devices.{{cite web |title=JAMM Technologies Acquires the Veriteq RFID Technology Platform and Enters into Supply Agreement with Establishment Labs |url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/jamm_technologies_acquires_the_veriteq_rfid_technology_platform_and_enters_into_supply_agreement_with_establishment_labs/prweb13308658.htm |author=Geissler, Randy |publisher=JAMM via PRWeb |date=April 4, 2016}} JAMM Technologies is co-located in the same Plymouth, Minnesota building as Geissler Corporation with Randolph K. Geissler and Donald R. Brattain{{cite news |title=Don Brattain, OSU SPEARS SCHOOL TRIBUTES: 100 FOR 100 |date=November 2014 |url=https://business.okstate.edu/tributes/week-9/don-brattain.html |publisher=Oklahoma State University |access-date=April 21, 2018}}{{cite web |title=Tyler Technologies, Inc., Tyler Investor Community, Directors, Donald R. Brattain, Independent Director |url=http://investors.tylertech.com/profiles/investor/Directors.asp?BzID=499 |publisher=Tyler Technologies, Inc. |access-date=April 21, 2018}} listed as its principals.

The website also claims that Geissler was CEO of PositiveID Corporation, Destron Fearing Corporation, and Digital Angel Corporation.{{cite web |title=Geissler Corporation – Management |date=24 July 2016 |url=http://www.geisslercorp.com/management/ |publisher=Geissler Corporation |access-date=April 21, 2018}}

In 2018, a Danish firm called BiChip released a new generation of microchip implant{{Cite web |url=https://onlineweb.dkpto.dk/pvsonline/Patent?action=102&sagID=PA%202017%2000432 |title=Bichip Patent in Denmark |last=Denmark |first=BEZH |date=2019 |website=dkpto}} that is intended to be readable from a distance and connected to Internet. The company released an update for its microchip implant to associate it with the Ripple cryptocurrency to allow payments to be made using the implanted microchip.{{Cite web |url=http://metro.co.uk/2018/01/08/can-now-store-ripple-bitcoin-using-creepy-microchip-implant-compared-mark-beast-7213716/ |title=Would you store Ripple and Bitcoin in microchip? |last=Hamill |first=Jasper |date=January 2018 |website=Metro}}

Patients that undergo NFC implants do so for a variety of reasons ranging from, Biomedical diagnostics, health reasons to gaining new senses,{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=2017-07-21 |title=I hacked my body for a future that never came |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/21/15999544/biohacking-finger-magnet-human-augmentation-loss |access-date=2020-09-24 |website=The Verge |language=en}} gain biological enhancement, to be part of existing growing movements, for workplace purposes, security, hobbyists and for scientific endeavour.{{Cite news |last=Gillan |first=Fraser |date=2019-10-06 |title=The transhumanists 'upgrading' their bodies |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-49893869 |access-date=2020-09-24}}

In 2020, a London-based firm called Impli released a microchip implant that is intended to be used with an accompanying smartphone app. The primary functionality of the implant is as a storage of medical records. The implant can be scanned by any smartphone that has NFC capabilities.{{Cite web |url=https://impli.org/impli-is-announcing-the-release-of-implicaspian-your-medical-identifier/ |title=Impli is announcing the release of ImpliCaspian; your identifier. – Impli |date=4 December 2019}}

= Building access and security =

In February 2006, CityWatcher, Inc. of Cincinnati, OH became the first company in the world to implant microchips into their employees as part of their building access control and security system. The workers needed the implants to access the company's secure video tape room, as documented in USA Today.Lewan, Todd. USA Today. July 2007. [https://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/surveillance/2007-07-21-chips_N.htm "Microchips in humans spark privacy debate."]. The project was initiated and implemented by Six Sigma Security, Inc. The VeriChip Corporation had originally marketed the implant as a way to restrict access to secure facilities such as power plants.

A major drawback for such systems is the relative ease with which the 16-digit ID number contained in a chip implant can be obtained and cloned using a hand-held device, a problem that has been demonstrated publicly by security researcher Jonathan WesthuesWesthues, Jonathan. "Demo: Cloning a VeriChip." [http://cq.cx/verichip.pl Demo: Cloning a VeriChip]. and documented in the May 2006 issue of Wired magazine,{{cite news |last=Newitz |first=Annalee |title=The RFID Hacking Underground |url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.05/rfid.html |access-date=July 13, 2011 |newspaper=Wired |date=May 2006 |author-link=Annalee Newitz}} among other places.

The Baja Beach Club, a nightclub in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, once used VeriChip implants for identifying VIP guests.http://www.baja.nl/vipform.aspx {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091224032607/http://www.baja.nl/vipform.aspx |date=2009-12-24 }}
The Epicenter in Stockholm, Sweden is using RFID implants for employees to operate security doors, copiers, and pay for lunch.{{Cite web |url=http://www.computerworld.com/article/2881178/office-complex-implants-rfid-chips-in-employees-hands.html |title=Office complex implants RFID chips in employees' hands |first=Lucas |last=Mearian |date=February 6, 2015 |access-date=February 15, 2015 |publisher=Computerworld}}

= Proposed uses =

In 2017, Mike Miller, chief executive of the World Olympians Association, was widely reported as suggesting the use of such implants in athletes in an attempt to reduce problems in sports due to recreational drug use.{{Cite web |title=Will microchips be used in athletes to prevent doping? |url=http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/future-tech/microchips-in-humans-to-prevent-doping-11364220161232}}

Theoretically, a GPS-enabled chip could one day make it possible for individuals to be physically located by latitude, longitude, altitude, and velocity,{{Citation needed|date=January 2023}} however GPS devices require constant and not insignificant power to function, and so in practice this would rely on non-existent microscopic batteries with sufficient energy density to power the device for many years without maintenance. Such a chip would require a powerful transmitting antenna similar to those found in modern smart phones in order to actually communicate, which would draw significant power. Even with a very efficient chip, an advanced battery several centimeters on a side, which is significantly larger than could actually be feasibly implanted, would be drained in only a few weeks. However, if widely deployed at some future point, implantable GPS devices could conceivably allow authorities to locate missing people, fugitives, or those who fled a crime scene. Critics contend that the technology could lead to political repression as governments could use implants to track and persecute human rights activists, labor activists, civil dissidents, and political opponents; criminals and domestic abusers could use them to stalk, harass, and/or abduct their victims.

Another suggested application for a tracking implant, discussed in 2008 by the legislature of Indonesia's Irian Jaya would be to monitor the activities of people infected with HIV, aimed at reducing their chances of infecting other people.[https://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE4AN3U620081124 "Indonesia's Papua plans to tag AIDS sufferers"], Mon Nov 24, 2008.{{citation |author=Jason Tedjasukmana |title=Papua Proposal: A Microchip to Track the HIV-Positive |date=Nov 26, 2008 |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1862347,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081130163134/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1862347,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 30, 2008 |magazine=Time}} The microchipping section was not, however, included in the final version of the provincial HIV/AIDS Handling bylaw passed by the legislature in December 2008.[http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/133495.php Government Of Indonesian Province Rejects Plan To Implant Microchips In Some HIV-Positive People] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225060958/http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/133495.php|date=2013-12-25}}, 2008-12-08 With current technology, this would not be workable anyway, since there is no implantable device on the market with GPS tracking capability.

Some have theorized{{Who|date=January 2023}} that governments could use implants for:

Central bank digital currency (CBDC).
Electronic identification (eID).
Immunity passport, such as digital variants of COVID-19 vaccine passports.

Criticisms and concerns

= Infection =

Infection has been cited as a source of failure within RFID and related microchip implanted individuals, either due to improper implantation techniques, implant rejections or corrosion of implant elements.{{cite journal |last1=Schiffmann |first1=Alain |last2=Clauss |first2=Martin |last3=Honigmann |first3=Philipp |date=2020 |title=Biohackers and Self-Made Problems: Infection of an Implanted RFID/NFC Chip: A Case Report |journal=JBJS Case Connector |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=e0399 |doi=10.2106/JBJS.CC.19.00399 |pmid=32649126 |s2cid=219881074}}

= MRIs =

File:XRay - m.opitz left hand showing several implanted microchips..jpg

Some chipped individuals have reported being turned away from MRIs due to the presence of magnets in their body.{{Cite web |last=Robertson |first=Adi |date=2017-07-21 |title=I hacked my body for a future that never came |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/21/15999544/biohacking-finger-magnet-human-augmentation-loss |access-date=2020-09-23 |website=The Verge |language=en}} No conclusive investigation has been done on the risks of each type of implant near MRIs, other than anecdotal reports ranging from no problems, requiring hand shielding before proximity, to being denied the MRI.{{Failed verification|date=May 2022|talk=MRI Safety|reason=Section discussing MRI machines is in the context of magnetic implants.}}

Other medical imaging technologies like X-ray and CT scanners do not pose a similar risk. Rather, X-rays can be used to locate implants.

= Corrosion =

Electronics-based implants contain little material that can corrode. Magnetic implants, however, often contain a substantial amount of metallic elements by volume, and iron, a common implant element, is easily corroded by common elements such as oxygen and water. Implant corrosion occurs when these elements become trapped inside during the encapsulation process, which can cause slow corrosive effect, or the encapsulation fails and allows corrosive elements to come into contact with the magnet. Catastrophic encapsulation failures are usually obvious, resulting in tenderness, discoloration of the skin, and a slight inflammatory response. Small failures however can take much longer to become obvious, resulting in a slow degradation of field strength without many external signs that something is slowly going wrong with the magnet.{{cite journal |last1=Eliaz |first1=Noam |title=Corrosion of Metallic Biomaterials: A Review |journal=Materials |date=2019-01-28 |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=407 |doi=10.3390/ma12030407 |pmid=30696087 |pmc=6384782 |bibcode=2019Mate...12..407E |doi-access=free}}

= Cancer risks =

In a self-published report,http://www.antichips.com/cancer/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223055334/http://www.antichips.com/cancer/|date=2007-12-23}} Microchip-Induced Tumors in Laboratory Rodents and Dogs: A Review of the Literature 1990–2006 anti-RFID advocate Katherine Albrecht, who refers to RFID devices as "spy chips", cites veterinary and toxicological studies carried out from 1996 to 2006 which found lab rodents injected with microchips as an incidental part of unrelated experiments and dogs implanted with identification microchips sometimes developed cancerous tumors at the injection site (subcutaneous sarcomas) as evidence of a human implantation risk.{{citation |last=Lewan |first=Todd |title=Chip Implants Linked to Animal Tumours |date=September 8, 2007 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090800997_pf.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2010-06-08}} However, the link between foreign-body tumorigenesis in lab animals and implantation in humans has been publicly refuted as erroneous and misleading{{cite web |author=RFID Journal |title=VeriChip Defends the Safety of Implanted RFID Tags |url=http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?3609 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013050315/http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?3609 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 13, 2014 |access-date=13 April 2016 |work=rfidjournal.com |date=12 September 2007}} and the report's author has been criticized {{By whom|date=March 2022}} over the use of "provocative" language "not based in scientific fact".{{Citation |last=uownow |title=IEEE ISTAS 2010 @ UOW – Dr Katherine Albrecht |date=2011-03-23 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS13kFWQIYM#t=60m53s |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/CS13kFWQIYM |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live |access-date=2019-07-24}}{{cbignore}} Notably, none of the studies cited specifically set out to investigate the cancer risk of implanted microchips and so none of the studies had a control group of animals that did not get implanted. While the issue is considered worthy of further investigation, one of the studies cited cautioned "Blind leaps from the detection of tumors to the prediction of human health risk should be avoided".{{Cite journal |last1=Blanchard |first1=K. T. |last2=Barthel |first2=C. |last3=French |first3=J. E. |last4=Holden |first4=H. E. |last5=Moretz |first5=R. |last6=Pack |first6=F. D. |last7=Tennant |first7=R. W. |last8=Stoll |first8=R. E. |year=1999 |title=Transponder-Induced Sarcoma in the Heterozygous p53+/- Mouse |journal=Toxicologic Pathology |volume=27 |issue=5 |pages=519–27 |doi=10.1177/019262339902700505 |pmid=10528631 |doi-access=free}}{{cite web |title=Lewan, Todd. The Associated Press, September 8, 2007. "Chip Implants Linked to Animal Tumors" |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090800997_pf.html/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725213720/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/08/AR2007090800997_pf.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-07-25 |website=washingtonpost.com}}{{Cite web |title=Studies Linking Microchips and Cancer |url=http://www.antichips.com/cancer/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615143350/http://www.antichips.com/cancer/index.html |archive-date=2008-06-15 |access-date=2009-11-15}}

= Stolen identity, privacy, security risks =

The Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) of the American Medical Association published a report in 2007 alleging that RFID implanted chips may compromise privacy because even though no information can be stored in an RFID transponder, they allege that there is no assurance that the information contained in the chip can be properly protected.CEJA of the American Medical Association, [http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/467/ceja5a07.doc CEJA Report 5-A-07], Radio Frequency ID Devices in Humans, presented by Robert M. Sade, MD, Chair. 2007

Stolen identity and privacy has been a major concern with microchip implants being cloned for various nefarious reasons in a process known as Wireless identity theft. Incidents of forced removal of animal implants have been documented,{{Cite web |date=2020-07-19 |title=Dognappers hacked microchip out of dog and stole her puppies |url=https://metro.co.uk/2020/07/19/dognappers-hacked-microchip-dog-stole-puppies-13011321/ |access-date=2020-09-24 |website=Metro |language=en}} the concern lies in whether this same practice will be used to attack implanted microchipped patients also. Due to low adoption of microchip implants incidents of these physical attacks are rare. Nefarious RFID reprogramming of unprotected or unencrypted microchip tags are also a major security risk consideration.

= Risk to human freedom and autonomy =

There is concern technology can be abused.The Guardian, [https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2014/jul/11/design-futures-remote-controlled-contraceptive-microchip-launch-by-2018], Remote-controlled contraceptive microchip could launch. 2014 Opponents have stated that such invasive technology has the potential to be used by governments to create an 'Orwellian' digital dystopia and theorized that in such a world, self-determination, the ability to think freely, and all personal autonomy could be completely lost.HuffPost, [https://consent.yahoo.com/collectConsent?sessionId=3_cc-session_de3d0d56-295a-45fc-baa3-a9be656404b8&lang=en-us&inline=false], Towards The Orwellian Era of a Microchipped Workforce. 2017The Times, [https://www.thetimes.com/article/microchipping-workers-takes-us-back-to-1984-09gxqdx6s], Microchipping workers takes us back to 1984. 2018IOT News, [https://www.theinternetofthings.eu/barry-ellsworth-could-microchip-implants-presage-george-orwells-chilling-novel-1984], Could microchip implants presage George Orwell's chilling novel '1984'?. 2014

= Ableism =

In 2019, Elon Musk announced that a company he had founded which deals with microchip implant research, called Neuralink, would be able to "solve" autism and other "brain diseases".{{cite web |last1=Gilmer |first1=Marcus |title=Elon Musk's comments on autism prove he should not podcast |url=https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-neuralink-autism-podcast |website=mashable.com |date=14 November 2019 |publisher=Mashable |access-date=12 February 2023}} This led to a number of critics calling out Musk for his statements, with Dan Robitzski of Neoscope saying, "while schizophrenia can be a debilitating mental condition, autism is more tightly linked to a sense of identity — and listing it as a disease to be solved as Musk did risks further stigmatizing a community pushing for better treatment and representation."{{cite web |last1=Robitzski |first1=Dan |title=Elon Musk Claims Neuralink Can "Solve" Autism, Schizophrenia: He incorrectly suggested that autism is a brain disease. |url=https://futurism.com/neoscope/elon-musk-neuralink-solve-autism-schizophrenia |website=futurism.com |date=14 November 2019 |publisher=Neoscope |access-date=12 February 2023}} Hilary Brueck of Insider agreed, saying, "conditions like autism can't be neatly cataloged as things to "solve." Instead, they lead people to think differently". She went on to argue though that the technology shouldn't be discounted entirely, as it could potentially help people with a variety of disabilities such as blindness and quadriplegia.{{cite web |last1=Brueck |first1=Hilary |title=Elon Musk said his brain chips might 'solve' autism and schizophrenia. A neuroscientist who implants brain chips has doubts. |url=https://www.insider.com/elon-musk-neuralink-wont-solve-autism-schizophrenia-2019-11 |website=www.insider.com |publisher=Insider |access-date=12 February 2023}} Fellow Insider writer Isobel Asher Hamilton added, "it was not clear what Musk meant by saying Neuralink could "solve" autism, which is not a disease but a developmental disorder." She then cited The UK's National Autistic Society's website statement, which says, "Autism is not an illness or disease and cannot be 'cured.' Often people feel being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity."{{cite web |last1=Hamilton |first1=Isobel Asher |title=Elon Musk said his AI-brain-chips company could 'solve' autism and schizophrenia |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-said-neuralink-could-solve-autism-and-schizophrenia-2019-11 |website=www.businessinsider.com |publisher=Insider |access-date=12 February 2023}} Tristan Greene of The Next Web stated, in response to Musk, "there’s only one problem: autism isn’t a disease and it can’t be cured or solved. In fact, there’s some ethical debate in the medical community over whether autism, which is considered a disorder, should be treated as part of a person’s identity and not a ‘condition’ to be fixed... how freaking cool would it be to actually start your Tesla [electric vehicle] just by thinking? But, maybe... just maybe, the billionaire with access to the world's brightest medical minds who, even after founding a medical startup, still incorrectly thinks that autism is a disease that can be solved or cured shouldn't be someone we trust to shove wires or chips into our brains."{{cite web |last1=Greene |first1=Tristan |title=Elon Musk says Neuralink can 'solve' autism with a brain chip. We call BS |url=https://thenextweb.com/news/elon-musk-says-neuralink-can-solve-autism-with-a-brain-chip-we-call-bs |website=thenextweb.com |date=14 November 2019 |publisher=The Next Web |access-date=12 February 2023}}

Some autistic people also spoke out against Musk's statement about using microchips to "solve" autism, with Nera Birch of The Mighty, an autistic writer, stating, "autism is a huge part of who I am. It pervades every aspect of my life. Sure, there are days where being neurotypical would make everything so much easier. But I wouldn’t trade my autism for the world. I have the unique ability to view the world and experience senses in a way that makes all the negatives of autism worth it. The fact you think I would want to be “cured” is like saying I would rather be nothing than be myself. People with neurodiversity are proud of ourselves. For many of us, we wear our autism as a badge of pride. We have a culture within ourselves. It is not something that needs to be erased. The person with autism is not the problem. Neurotypical people need to stop molding us into something they want to interact with."{{cite web |last1=Birch |first1=Nera |title=Dear Elon Musk: I Don't Need a Brain Chip to 'Solve' My Autism |url=https://themighty.com/topic/autism-spectrum-disorder/neuralink-solve-autism-elon-musk/ |website=themighty.com |date=9 November 2022 |publisher=The Mighty |access-date=12 February 2023}} Florence Grant, an autistic writer for The Independent, stated, "autistic people often have highly-focused interests, also known as special interests. I love my ability to hyperfocus and how passionate I get about things. I also notice small details and things that other people don’t see. I see the world differently, through a clear lens, and this means I can identify solutions where other people can’t. Does this sound familiar, Elon? My autism is a part of me, and it’s not something that can be separated from me. I should be able to exist freely autistic and proud. But for that to happen, the world needs to stop punishing difference and start embracing it." Grant noted that Musk himself had recently admitted that he had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome (itself an outdated diagnosis, the characteristics of which are currently recognized as part of the autism spectrum{{cite book |title=Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) |title-link=DSM-5-TR |chapter=Neurodevelopmental Disorders |publisher=American Psychiatric Association |place=Washington, DC |date=18 March 2022 |lccn=2021051782 |isbn=978-0-89042-577-0 |ref={{harvid|DSM-5-TR}}}}) while hosting Saturday Night Live.{{cite web |last1=Grant |first1=Florence |title=No, Elon Musk, autism does not need 'solving' – we'd much rather be accepted as we are |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/elon-musk-autism-aspergers-b1847069.html |website=www.independent.co.uk |date=17 May 2021 |publisher=Independent |access-date=12 February 2023}}

Musk himself has not specified how Neuralink's microchip technology would "solve" autism, and has not commented publicly on the feedback from autistic people.

Misinformation

Despite a lack of evidence demonstrating invasive use or even technical capability of microchip implants, they have been the subject of many conspiracy theories.

The Southern Poverty Law Center reported in 2010 that on the Christian right, there were concerns that implants could be the "mark of the beast" and amongst the Patriot movement there were fears that implants could be used to track people.{{cite web |title=Microchip Implantation Feared as Sign of End Times |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2010/02/25/microchip-implantation-feared-sign-end-times |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |access-date=10 October 2023 |language=en}} The same year NPR reported that a myth was circulating online that patients who signed up to receive treatment under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) would be implanted.{{cite news |last1=Rovner |first1=Julie |url=https://www.npr.org/2010/09/03/129581493/health-law-myths-outside-the-realm-of-reality |access-date=10 October 2023 |work=National Public Radio |date=3 September 2010 |title=Health Law Myths: Outside The Realm Of Reality}}

In 2016, Snopes reported that being injected with microchips was a "perennial concern to the conspiracy-minded" and noted that a conspiracy theory was circulating in Australia at that time that the government was going to implant all of its citizens.{{cite web |last1=Emery |first1=David |title=Australia Becomes First Country to Begin Microchipping Its Public? |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/australia-becomes-first-country-to-begin-microchipping/ |website=Snopes |access-date=10 October 2023 |language=en |date=4 October 2016}}

A 2021 survey by YouGov found that 20% of Americans believed microchips were inside the COVID-19 vaccines.{{cite web |url=https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/w2zmwpzsq0/econTabReport.pdf |title=The Economist/YouGov Poll |date=13 July 2021 |publisher=YouGov |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006161725/https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/w2zmwpzsq0/econTabReport.pdf |archivedate=2023-10-06}}{{cite news |last1=Dawson |first1=Bethany |title=20% of Americans believe the conspiracy theory that microchips are inside the COVID-19 vaccines, says YouGov study |work=Insider |url=https://www.insider.com/20-of-americans-believe-microchips-in-covid-19-vaccines-yougov-2021-7}} A 2021 Facebook post by RT (Russia Today) claimed DARPA had developed a COVID-19 detecting microchip implant.{{cite web |last1=Vercellone |first1=Chiara |title=Fact Check: Military-funded sensor can help detect COVID-19, but it's not a microchip |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/04/22/fact-check-post-botches-details-implant-detecting-covid-19/7299081002/ |website=USA TODAY}}{{cite news |title=Military programs aiming to end pandemics forever |work=CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/last-pandemic-science-military-60-minutes-2021-04-11/ |date=11 April 2021}}

Legislation

A few jurisdictions have researched or preemptively passed laws regarding human implantation of microchips.

= United States =

In the United States, many states such as Wisconsin (as of 2006), North Dakota (2007), California (2007), Oklahoma (2008), and Georgia (2010) have laws making it illegal to force a person to have a microchip implanted, though politicians acknowledge they are unaware of cases of such forced implantation.{{Cite web |last=Songini |first=Marc L. |date=2006-06-12 |title=Wisconsin law bars forced RFID implants |url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/2303879/wisconsin-law-bars-forced-rfid-implants.html |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=Network World |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2010-07-27 |title=California Bans Forced RFID Tagging of Humans |url=https://www.govtech.com/security/California-Bans-Forced-RFID-Tagging-of.html |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=GovTech |language=en}}Tim Talley.

[http://newsok.com/article/3247279 "Bill bans involuntary microchip implants"].

2008.[http://www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-and-information-technology/radio-frequency-identification-rfid-privacy-laws.aspx "Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Privacy Laws"].

2015. In 2010, Virginia passed a bill forbidding companies from forcing employees to be implanted with tracking devices.{{Cite web |title=Virginia delegates pass bill banning chip implants as 'mark of the beast' – Raw Story – Celebrating 18 Years of Independent Journalism |url=https://www.rawstory.com/2010/02/virginia-passes-law-banning-chip-implants-mark-beast/ |access-date=2023-01-06 |website=www.rawstory.com |language=en}}

In 2010, Washington's House of Representatives introduced a bill ordering the study of potential monitoring of sex offenders with implanted RFID or similar technology, but it did not pass.[http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2009&bill=1142 HB 1142-2009-10] to study requiring the use of implanted RFID in certain felons.

Views

The general public are most familiar with microchips in the context of identifying pets.

= In popular culture =

Implanted individuals are considered to be grouped together as part of the transhumanism movement.

"Arkangel", an episode of the drama series Black Mirror, considered the potential for helicopter parenting of an imagined more advanced microchip.

Microchip implants have been explored in cyberpunk media such as Ghost in the Shell, Cyberpunk 2077, and Deus Ex.

= Religious beliefs =

Some Christians make a link between implants and the Biblical Mark of the Beast,{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/118857652.html?dids=118857652:118857652&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+09%2C+2002&author=DAVID+STREITFELD&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=First+Humans+to+Receive+ID+Chips%3B+Technology%3A+Device+injected+under+the+skin+will+provide+identification+and+medical+information.&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108060323/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/118857652.html?dids=118857652:118857652&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+09%2C+2002&author=DAVID+STREITFELD&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=First+Humans+to+Receive+ID+Chips%3B+Technology%3A+Device+injected+under+the+skin+will+provide+identification+and+medical+information.&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 8, 2012 |title=First Humans to Receive ID Chips; Technology: Device injected under the skin will provide identification and medical information. |last=Streitfield |first=David |date=9 May 2002 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=13 September 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-5579795-7.html |title=Is RFID the mark of the beast? |last=Gilbert |first=Alorie |date=16 February 2005 |work=CNET News |access-date=13 September 2010}} prophesied to be a future requirement for buying and selling, and a key element of the Book of Revelation.{{cite book |first1=Katherine |last1=Albrecht |author-link=Katherine Albrecht |first2=Liz |last2=McIntyre |author-link2=Liz McIntyre (writer) |title=The Spychips Threat: Why Christians Should Resist RFID and Electronic Surveillance |publisher=Nelson Current |isbn=1-59555-021-6 |date=2006-01-31}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/06/70308 |publisher=Wired.com |title=RFID: Sign of the (End) Times? |magazine=Wired |first=Mark |last=Baard |date=2006-06-06 |access-date=2009-10-13}} Gary Wohlscheid, president of These Last Days Ministries, has argued that "Out of all the technologies with potential to be the mark of the beast, VeriChip has got the best possibility right now."{{cite news |last=Scheeres |first=Julia |date=6 February 2002 |title=They Want Their ID Chips Now |work=Wired News |url=http://archive.wired.com/politics/security/news/2002/02/50187?currentPage=2 |access-date=13 September 2010}}