Microchipping Humans

[Zyth]

There's been talk for years about this, but it seems we're really moving in that direction now. First it was animals, now humans?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3742684.stm

A US company has been given the green light to implant microchips in humans. It's intended to provide medical information ... but will it turn into a surveillance system?

This week, the United States Food and Drug Administration gave its approval for an implantable chip which can be used for medical purposes.

A microchip the size of a grain of rice can be inserted below the skin - and will carry an individual's medical records which can be read by a scanner.

The makers of the VeriChip say it will carry information that can save a patient's life during an emergency - such as details of medication, blood groups and allergies or if they have conditions such as diabetes.

The problems that arise are obvious, breach of privacy, fears of misuse, et cetera.

I personally would do my best to avoid having the chip because I feel we already have way too little privacy in society with CCTV and other things. I also do not like the idea of it being placed below the skin - it's moving towards the ever more sci-fi possibility of mechanical parts, computer chips in brain, and so on. If it is accepted then it lowers the standard that people look to, and so such things become less exotic...

Does anyone have any strong opinions on this?

[Jozep]

I've been reading a lot of William Gibson lately.

More and more he is looking like a true visionary.

Will we be jacking in to the matrix soon? Or getting cybernetic implants?

Scary stuff.

[Nazon]

Actually plugging your brain into the computer is closer then you think.

[kestra]

why have medical records implanted? how does new information get put onto it?

This is too big brother-esque for me, however, I wouldn't be surprised if this thing catches on.