Biohax, a passive near field communications device has been inserted in thousands of people in Sweeden. Certified biohackers insert the 2x12mm tubular microchip under your skin, usually in the area between your thumb and forefinger. The chip contains no tracking capabilities, no GPS capabilities, and no batteries, and the device itself is Chinese, with German biocompatible glass and Spanish electronics. Just like the chip used in animals. Sound too sci-fi? Here’s just a few of the potentials of these implanted microchips, and the reason why biotech microchip implanting may be closer in your future than you think.
Business Security. No more lost or forgotten access badges. No more employee impersonation with stolen badges. The microchip ensures only your employees have access to your company, whether it be secure locations, computer login or purchases at the cafeteria.
International Compatibility. Near Field Communication (NFC) is common all over the world. All modern mobile phones support NFC. In fact, you access the user app for your chip with your smartphone. Credit cards, Verifone, gyms, loyalty cards, bank cards, driver’s licenses, and even passports use the NFC technology. Compatibility with you chip means you can eliminate your wallet because you are carrying all that information in your hand chip. Imagine skipping the line at the airport, verifying your identity with a wave of your hand, and going straight to the metal detectors.
Emergency Situations. “Being chipped will allow paramedics and hospitals to identify you and get information about medical conditions even if you are unconscious,” says Jowan Österlund, blockchain evangelist and founder of Biohax International. “To me, it’s amazing that if a runaway horse gets hit by a car in Sweden, the police can immediately scan its chip and know it’s Bessie and it belongs to Mr. Anderson at such and such address, but a human without a wallet is unidentifiable.” Imagine carrying around your complete medical record in your microchip. Allergies, medications lists, medical history. No need for record release forms or hackers seizing your medical information for ransom.
Security. Near Field communication means just that. The microchips are only activated by a special reader, or a phone app, which has to be no more than a centimeter away. Your chip is also not online and untrackable. A fact biohackers insist makes the microchip unhackable. An attacker would need to tag a person in a particular area, build a device that can send out an electromagnetic current strong enough that it would energize the chip from a long distance, and then cover every inch of that particular area with a reader. Far too time-consuming. Österlund also points out that your smartphone is much more of a privacy concern than the chip.
Choice. Biohax is not the only company you can obtain your microchip from. Cyberise.Me in Australia, Three Square Market in Wisconsin, and Dangerous Things in Seattle all offer biotech implants. Biohax, sells near-field communication devices, while other companies like Dangerous Things let users select between RFID and NFC chips. The user apps further customize the chip as you upload specific information of your choice onto the chip.
Internet of Things Control. RFID tech microchips are being used to replace keys and passwords. You can enter your home, unlock and start your car, or log in to a laptop. You can also access the smart devices in your whole-house IoT, deactivate a security alarm, or unlock your safe. You and only you would have control.
These are obviously just a handful of the potential applicability of biotech implants. And as more people are microchipped and the field expands, so will the research, protocols and security measures. Lastly another perk (or a drawback depending on how you look at it) of the microchip: it can’t be turned off or left behind.