Opinion

A brave new world

Computer chip implants threaten freedom

By Amy Bowler

Posted on March 07, 2002, at 12:00 a.m.

Recently a Florida technology company created a computer identification chip that is intended to be implanted in humans; right now this company is seeking government approval.

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, right? Many dog owners have had similar chips implanted in their pets for easy identification in case the dog is lost and picked up by the pound. This could actually be a convenience for people with serious medical problems – a chip containing their medical information could be a real life saver.

But here comes the problem: This same company is also working on an implant device to allow satellite tracking of an individual. Potentially this could be good in the case of lost children or escaped convicts, but what about the rest of us? What about our rights to individual freedom? Do you really want people to know exactly where you are every minute of the day? This has gone way beyond wearing a beeper or carrying a cell phone – soon you will never be alone.

But maybe these are the kind of rights we are going to have to sacrifice for a safe, terror-free world. Perhaps airports and big event venues are going to start scanning our computer chips as a security measure.

Like any ethical dilemma there are pros and cons. But like any scientific innovation, it could really come back to bite you. We need to consider the future of such a device. How difficult are these things going to be to counterfeit? You think identity theft is easy now? Wait until some hacker starts making his own little ID chips. Or someone decides to start stealing them out of people – all it’ll take is a baseball bat and sharp knife. These things are just implanted under the skin after all.

The company claims the use of implants will be entirely voluntary. For now perhaps, but as these chips gain popularity, I can see today’s security-seeking government implanting chips in every American man, woman and child in the name of freedom.

Amy Bowler is a senior journalism major.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 7th, 2002, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.