A Swedish company has started implanting microchips in the hands of some of its workers. It may be voluntary, but I see at least three problems:
See: Gattaca. Same thing except using inherent “chipping.”
From the AP article:
So my question, what do people do for these if they don’t get microchipped? Is it just something like a keycard? If so, does it really make a difference?
It doesn’t sound as if it’s any more sophisticated than chipping a dog or cat - a RFID module that pings back a serial number when lit up (electromagnetically) with a scanning field.
I’d be curious about the anti-spoofing features or other security needed. It’s trivial to read a RFID chip; it would be almost as trivial to make a small patch version that would allow someone to imitate a known-good chipster.
The company that chips your cat or dog uses it to find your pet if it is lost-it doesn’t keep tabs on where your pet is and what it does on a daily basis.
But like I asked, what do the people that aren’t microchipped do? for example, I use a keyfob to get into my office every day. My company can very easily look up that data. Is it really any difference if I used a microchip to get in?
I don’t have any moral or technological fear of this, but as enalzi says, I have a near field communication chip in my access card. I think I’d rather use that.
And don’t most companies with such policies require you the wear your access card and make it visible to others?
I think the concerns are checking if the guy arrives and leaves on time, or if he visits a bar or a whorehouse, or a church the employer doesn’t like.
But these are tiny Near Field Communication devices. They’d have to set up a rather insane number of sensors across town to track employees at that level.
Personally though, I sure as shit ain’t getting something implanted in me so the company can cut down on lost security cards.
Yep. From the link:
You can leave the fob in your desk or car and no longer be tracked. That’s not a trivial difference except under the most benignly-considered conditions.
You can shield your hand or just not place it near the reader too.
I’ll set up a detector at the Black Cat and see if any of my employees go there. I can snap a pic of CarnalK in his cups (or looking like it) and have a reason to fire that SOB.
My biggest concern would be the appearance of the guy performing the implant…
(Link to Swedish free newspaper: the text doesn’t add a lot of information, but note the second photo!)
Innehåller unikt id!*
*Jesus Christ, look at those ears!
You think you can just fire a guy for going to a bar in Sweden? You think a bar would let you set up the detector so you can fire their customers?
He thinks there’s only one bar in Sweden?
Ears, hell… the guy’s got Magnum XL condoms inserted under his skin!
I think there’s a fundamental difference in an ID you carry and one that’s implanted in you, regardless of any similarities in how they might be managed under benign conditions.
That’s just speculation from the article writer.