# Would you be a dip to try this chip?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [April 4, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746 "2017-04-04T17:19:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/1 "2017-04-04T17:19:03Z")
[A Swedish company has started implanting microchips in the hands of some of its workers.](https://consumerist.com/2017/04/04/one-company-has-implanted-tracking-microchips-in-150-employees/) It may be voluntary, but I see at least three problems:
1. They cannot guarantee that all the personal information gathered by this chip won’t be stolen,
2. There is no guarantee that those that have been chipped won’t receive favoritism from the company, and
3. What are their options if a company or management they do not like/trust takes over the company?
Also, that “Number Of The Beast” thingee.
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/2 "2017-04-04T17:20:20Z")
See: _Gattaca_. Same thing except using inherent “chipping.”
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### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/3 "2017-04-04T17:22:39Z")
From the AP article:
> [@](#):
>
> The company offers to implant its workers and startup members with microchips the size of grains of rice that function as swipe cards: to open doors, operate printers, or buy smoothies with a wave of the hand.
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?
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/4 "2017-04-04T17:49:30Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#):
>
> 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.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/5 "2017-04-04T18:04:04Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#):
>
> 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.
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### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/6 "2017-04-04T18:06:59Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> 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?
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/7 "2017-04-04T18:14:53Z")
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?
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/8 "2017-04-04T18:18:38Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#):
>
> 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 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.
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### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/9 "2017-04-04T18:32:25Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> 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.
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### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/10 "2017-04-04T18:32:42Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> 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.
Yep. From the link:
> [@](#):
>
> Then there’s the not-so-Jedi-like part: the fact that the thing is always keeping tabs on the worker — generating data about when they’re on the job, where they went and when. Run to the bathroom more often one morning? The chip knows. Buy four bags of Cheetos for lunch? The chip knows.
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/11 "2017-04-04T18:33:01Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#):
>
> 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?
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.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/12 "2017-04-04T18:43:22Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#):
>
> 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.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/13 "2017-04-04T18:44:49Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> 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.
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.
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### Author:  [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/14 "2017-04-04T20:01:32Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> 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.
My biggest concern would be the appearance of the guy performing the implant…
([Link](http://www.metro.se/artikel/p%C3%A5-det-h%C3%A4r-svenska-f%C3%B6retaget-har-anst%C3%A4llda-ett-chip-inopererat-i-handen-xr) to Swedish free newspaper: the text doesn’t add a lot of information, but note the second photo!)
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/15 "2017-04-04T20:21:21Z")
> [@Ignotus](#):
>
> My biggest concern would be the appearance of the guy performing the implant…
Innehåller unikt id!\*
\*Jesus Christ, look at those ears!
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### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/16 "2017-04-04T20:28:51Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> 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.
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?
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/17 "2017-04-04T20:46:18Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> 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?
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/18 "2017-04-04T21:13:14Z")
Ears, hell… the guy’s got Magnum XL condoms inserted under his skin!
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/19 "2017-04-04T21:14:41Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> You can shield your hand or just not place it near the reader too.
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._
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### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-be-a-dip-to-try-this-chip/783746/20 "2017-04-04T21:15:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> Yep. From the link:
That’s just speculation from the article writer.
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