Chipping Away at Our Freedoms: Microchip Implants and Human Rights

Microchips in human beings is still a subject for debate but the use of chips in animals and livestock is an established practice that has gradually expanded to help find lost household pets. "For approximately 15 years, the ADS subsidiary Digital Angel Corporation has been manufacturing implantable RFID microchips, and it has sold more than 30 million "Home Again" chips for use in pets" (Barclay, 2004). Imagine the relief felt by pet owners who, after discovering that their family pet had run away, find their beloved animal thanks to a small, recently released microchip and a scanner.

Fast forward and the focus has switched from simple industrial uses like livestock and pets to medicine, security and an almost unlimited range of technological devices ranging from various military uses to tracking systems in civilian automobiles. The device, which only measures up to the length of a dime, is primarily used to store and transmit data with tracking being the third focus of intent. Today, microchips are beginning to be used to help keep track of wandering hospital patients as well as practical-minded doctors looking to preserve their medical data on their person in the event of an emergency. John Halamike, an emergency physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston got chipped two years ago, "so that if I was ever in an accident, and arrived unconscious or incoherent at an emergency ward, doctors could identify me and access my medical history quickly" (Lewan, 2007).

However, the question still has to be asked. As advances in technologies continue, will Microchips chip away at our freedoms?

Tale of Fear

In America, and in many countries of the world, there is a persistent fear that chips will be used by various government agencies to track people in an Orwellian style world. George Orwell - in his book 1984 - may not have specifically thought of microchips but the paranoia inspired by his words of a big brother government lives on. In addition, there are those who believe that microchips can be perceived as just another sign ready to fulfill some type of biblical prophecy in the end of days. Again, these events have not occurred but the imagination does not have to soar too far in this area. ATM cards are replacing the use of cash and people or thieves can already be tracked by credit card and ATM purchases with ease. In her book 'The Hand Maiden's Tale', Margaret Atwood describes how women could be stripped of their rights simply by having their ATM cut off and thus eliminating their access to funds. Add a microchip to that phobic scenario and the information needed to shut off the ATM financial access is now inside the person and being read by the machine.

Can we truly trust every government around the world to have the best intentions as the technology for these chips matures? Other governments are experimenting with the use of implantable chips to beef up security. "This summer, General Rafael Macedo de la Concha, attorney general of Mexico, announced that he and scores of his subordinates had received implanted chips that controlled access to a secure room and documents considered vital in Mexico's war with drug cartels" (Feder and Zeller, 2004). We already have an Attorney General whose testimony is doubted by Congress and hackers who are stealing into government databases on a regular basis. Who will ensure that implanted devices do not fall into unscrupulous hands?

A Glitch or Two

What are some of the technological limits of the chips? Currently, the chips are known to have a few glitches because most of the chips are passive and have to be read by a scanner at very close range to perform their intended uses. People who are implanted with the chips usually want their medical records kept close at hand and safe. Unfortunately, the transmission capability of the chips is at its infancy and ready prey for identity thieves. "To grab information from radio frequency products with a scanning device is not hard to do" (Lewan, 2007) and it even has a name - spoofing. Again, the devices started as tracking and storage devices for animals and there was little need or desire to increase unit cost and include enhanced security in each chip. Several researchers including Jonathan Westhues have documented and demonstrated the security issues with existing chips.

In addition, the chips are designed to last 10 -15 years and they are difficult to remove from the human body. "But when people realize it takes a scalpel and surgery to remove the device if it gets hacked, they'll really think twice," she said, "An implant is disgusting enough going in, but getting it out again is a bloody mess." (The Chief Engineer, 2007). And anybody with a good scanner can track the chips. In fact, there are currently so many security issues with the implants that there is still a debate on whether more efficient but larger, external tracking devices are more preferable to microchips.

However, it is undeniable that the chip is more portable and will eventually have security options ranging from secure bandwidths for transmission (currently the device uses low frequency radio waves that are lower than AM radio wavelengths) to increased transmitting ranges and access to satellite tracking technology.

At Risk Patients

Still, there is no denying the potential benefits of keeping track of problematic hospital patients who attempt to wander away and are thus a danger to themselves. In fact, the author spent years caring for his elderly mother and observed many Alzheimer patients trying to escape their care home and in the process, endangering themselves. In this sense, the device can be a godsend for worry-ridden families and concerned care home staff. "VeriChip Corporation (NASDAQ: CHIP), a provider of RFID systems for healthcare and patient-related needs, announced today that 25 Alzheimer's conference attendees, including patients and caregivers, received the VeriMed RFID implantable microchip at the Alzheimer's Community Care (ACC) 2007 Alzheimer's Educational Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida on June 7-8." (Verichip News, 2007). This is a laudable goal that both helps keep track of confused patients and provides ready scanning access for medical record data.

Future Tracks

But what's next? In 2006 a company called CityWatcher.com made headlines when it required two employees to have the device implanted in order to enhance security but not as a condition of employment. "In the past, employees accessed the room with an RFID tag which hung from their keychains, however under the new regulations an implantable, glass encapsulated RFID tag from VeriChip must be injected into the bicep to gain access, a release from spychips.com said Thursday" (SecurityFocus, 2006). Again, employees were not required to have the chip implanted to be employed but they could not access the database and perform their jobs without the chips being shot into their arm.

And in the immediate future? We are already using the chips to keep track of the family pet and are starting to monitor the elderly parent. What greater concern than that of a parent for their child? We already have hand-held satellite devices that can help people keep track of their movements over a limited area. Just imagine children who do not have to carry a device because it is already in their arm, helping to keep them safe and sound. However, implanting children with critical medical and other data is potentially only a step away from implanting both high-risk prisoners and home-detained lower level offenders who may try to defeat ankle-bound electronics.

References:

Barclay, L., MD (2004). FDA Approves Implantable Chip Used to Access Medical records retrieved August 12, 2007 from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/491994

Feder, B. and Zeller, T. (2004). U.S. Agency Clears Implantable Microchips Herald Tribune retrieved August 3, 2007 from http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/10/14/business/chip.php

Lewan, T. (2007). A Line in the Sand Over Chip Implants Associated Press Printed in the Medford Mail Tribune on Sunday, July 22, 2007

Security Focus (2006). Company requires RFID Injection Security Focus retrieved August 11, 2007 from http://www.securityfocus.com/brief/134

The Chief Engineer (2007). Monitoring Employees in a Secure Area retrieved August 25, 2007 from http://www.chiefengineer.org/content/content_display.cfm/seqnumber_content/2849.htm

Verichip Press Release (2007) 25 Alzheimer's Patients and Caregivers Verimed RFID Implantable Microchip retrieved August 20, 2007 from http://www.verichipcorp.com/news/1181565755

Westhues, J. (2006). Demo: Cloning a Verichip retrieved August 20, 2007 from http://cq.cx/verichip.pl