Being Chipped:
Just Another Chip in the (Privacy) Wall
Went to the supermarket, but left the wallet at home? No problem! Flex your bicep and the smiling cashier passes a scanner over your arm. Voila—identification chip recognized; problem solved. Passed out during a sunrise jaunt on the top of Haleakala Mountain in Maui? Fret not! The hospital down below is on the case. Arm please. Scanner! The readout on the computer is fine--you just have a little altitude sickness. Key to the safety deposit box weighing you down? Chuck it! Next time you’re in the bank, give the teller a friendly wave—and watch the doors open to greet you! After decades as the stuff of sci-fi novels and anime movies, the age of chipped humans is finally a reality. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of an implantable ID tag that can store everything from medical records to financial information. The technology could be a gold mine for the company that makes the chips--but a civil liberties nightmare.
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/04/11/wo_kushner111804.asp?trk=nl