US firm to implant employees with RFID chips

An American company is inviting employees to get RFID chips that can be used to buy food in the office break room implanted in their hands.

  39 16 comments

US firm to implant employees with RFID chips

Editorial

This content has been selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based upon its relevance and interest to our community.

Three Square Market, which makes self-service micro markets for office break rooms, says it expects over 50 staffers to volunteer for the free chips, which it is working with Sweden's BioHax on.

The employees will get chipped at a 'chip party' on 1 August, after which they will not only be able to make contactless purchases at the firm's micro market but also open doors and log into their computers.

Todd Westby, CEO, three Square Market, says: "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."

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Comments: (16)

Mark Anderson

Mark Anderson General Manager at BioTechnologies

That is really lame I'm afraid to say.

It would make much more sense, albeit more expensive to some extent, to use a biometric reader for all those requirements.

A Finextra member 

Once hacked (e.g. lifted fingerprint), bio cannot be "reissued". Implant can be extracted.

A Finextra member 

Great. Tracked 24x7. Who would be nuts enough to have any sort of teachable implant.

A Finextra member 

Anon not carrying a smartphone?..

A Finextra member 

Dont shout "FREE CHIPS" too loud in America.....in the wrong environment you could be trampled to death in the rush

A Finextra member 

I think not.

A Finextra member 

Anon does have a smart phone which he can switch off and leave at home.

A Finextra member 

Anon does not see any cameras (including other smartphones) around him/her? And actually gets the battery out switching the phone off?

A Finextra member 

Oh dear, do you work for the chip company? I know about the cameras, I live in UK with more CCTV per head than anywhere else but I could opt to live in a country without cameras, or up a Welsh mountain. I'm not stepping over a line where someone plonks a chip inside me me, if you want to go ahead, be my guest.

A Finextra member 

No, I don't. I simply "slept with Keira Knightly". I thought we have all moved on beyond Big Brother fears and are now focusing, in the UK, on gender neutrality instead. BTW, speaking of that and implants... ))

A Finextra member 

You can't assume that because you have moved on from 'big brother' fears the population at large has. Well actually of course you can assume that, good luck with your assumption.

Shlomo Cohen

Shlomo Cohen Risk-Finance Subject Matter Expert at PRNS

Are those who carry the chip aware that their whereabouts is known within the firm, but potentially also out of it; how much time they spend in the toilets, at the coffee shop, etc.? It looks like TOTAL CONTROL to me, and I clearly do not like it.

A Finextra member 

Don't confuse anonymous knowledge with control.

A Finextra member 

Don't confuse trusting some people with trusting everyone ... anonymous knowledge is fine until it isn't anonymous ...

Shlomo Cohen

Shlomo Cohen Risk-Finance Subject Matter Expert at PRNS

And when someone is fired, he/she is dragged to surgery? or his/her RFID is disabled and he/she has to remove the chip by his/her own means (reimbursed by social security?). Not for me, thx

A Finextra member 

Its all a bit of hype isnt it...  Why risk invasive surgery (which it is) with the potential for inadvertant side effects, when the same thing could be carried in a watch strap, Ring, bracelet,  ID card, wallet, mobile phone, glasses etc.   I wonder what the disclaimers look like from the inserting company, and also what the insurance premium is in the event of any unwanted health issues.  When you chip a cat - the advice is dont wash the animal for a week..    

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