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Microchips in humans: consumer-friendly app, or new frontier in surveillance?

By Ahmed Banafa | September 8, 2022

An x-ray showing a Walletmor RFID chip injected into a person’s hand after a local anesthetic. The company’s literature on its website says: “Forget about the cash, card, and SmartPay solutions. Since now you can pay directly with your hand. Get your Walletmor payment implant now and make a step into the future.” Image courtesy of Walletmor.

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Microchips in humans: consumer-friendly app, or new frontier in surveillance?

By Ahmed Banafa | September 8, 2022

References

Ajami, S., and Rajabzadeh, A. 2013. “Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology and patient safety.” Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. September. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3872592/.

Banafa, A. 2021. “Technology Under Your Skin: 3 Challenges of Microchip Implants.” Post to personal website Technology Waves by Prof. Ahmed Banafa: Analysis of Blockchain, Internet of Things, AI, and Cybersecurity. March 7. https://www.profbanafa.com/2021/03/technology-under-your-skin.html.

myAyan. No Date. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Microchips in Humans.” myAyan website. https://www.myayan.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-microchips-in-humans.

Fowler, G. 2021. “Apple’s AirTag trackers made it frighteningly easy to ‘stalk’ me in a test:.” The Washington Post. May 5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/05/05/apple-airtags-stalking/.

Latham, K. 2022. “The microchip implants that let you pay with your hand.” BBC News, Business Section. April 11. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61008730.

Marqeta/Consult Hyperion. 2021. “The European Payments Landscape in 2030: Implants, embedded ethics and a ‘post-payments’ world – can technology help create a more equitable future for all?” https://resources.marqeta.com/c/report-european-payments-landscape?x=hj28Ub&submissionGuid=95961be5-2b0b-4858-9459-d312087827a0.

Schumaker, E. 2020. “Elon Musk unveils brain chip implant: ‘It’s like a Fitbit in your skull.’ ” ABC News. August 29. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/elon-musk-unveils-brain-chip-implant-fitbit-skull/story?id=72703840.

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Keywords: RFID chips, Walletmor, bio-hackers, microchips, radio-frequency identification, surveillance
Topics: Analysis, Disruptive Technologies

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Ahmed Banafa

Ahmed Banafa has extensive experience in research, operations and management, with a focus on the Internet of Things, blockchain, cybersecurity and... Read More

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