US-based company gives employees option to implant RFID chip in their bodies
![US-based company gives employees option to implant RFID chip in their bodies US-based company gives employees option to implant RFID chip in their bodies](https://static.digit.in/default/8537aab565dda4cadd8b47428149d3b8783fca1c.jpeg)
The company is called Three Square Market (32M) and the chip will allow them to make purchases in the breakroom micro market, open doors, login to computers, use copy machines and more
A US based company, Three Square Market (32M), is giving its employees the option of implanting an RFID chip in their body. This chip would allow them to make purchases in the breakroom micro market, open doors, login to computers, use copy machines and more. The option will be available to employees on August 1, 2017, and will be offered to all its employees. In order to do so, 32M has partnered with Swedish company, BioHax International.
The chip implant uses Near-Field Communication technology (NFC), which is the same technology used by contactless credit cards and mobile payments. The chip will be implanted under the skin between the thumb and the forefinger and the company says that the process will complete within seconds.
“We foresee the use of RFID technology to drive everything from making purchases in our office break room market, opening doors, use of copy machines, logging into our office computers, unlocking phones, sharing business cards, storing medical/health information, and used as payment at other RFID terminals. Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities, etc,” stated 32M CEO, Todd Westby.
The employee's will be chipped at the inaugural “chip party” hosted at its headquarters on August 1. 32M expects at least 50 staff members to be voluntarily chipped at the event. The company states that that chip only contains information the employees choose and does not contain any tracking abilities. Those employees who are interested in the technology, but not the implant, they can get the same embedded in a wristband or a smart ring.
The proper term for implanting a chip into a human body is biohacking. The chip in question is usually about the size of a grain of rice and can store information you would otherwise carry with you physically, such as business cards. However, since it can be read by others, the information stores in these chips cannot be confidential.