NOW WITH GPS. Three Square Market (32M) is no longer content to simply <a href="https://futurism.com/this-u-s-company-is-offering-to-put-microchips-in-their-employees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">microchip its employees</a>. The Wisconsin-based company now want to put trackable implants into people with dementia.
32M&#8217;s CEO Todd Westby announced the plan on <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/three-square-market-plans-gps-chip-dementia-patients.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNBC&#8217;s &#8220;Closing Bell&#8221;</a> on Wednesday. Westby said the company is working on a voice-activated, body-heat-powered chip that can monitor a person&#8217;s vital signs and track them via GPS. It plans to beta test the chips in 2019 and will seek Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for them.
TARGET AUDIENCE. The company&#8217;s president, Patrick McMullan, added that patients who suffer from dementia would be a primary target for the GPS implant. &#8220;Without question it&#8217;s a worthy cause, and it&#8217;s a product in demand,&#8221; he said.
There&#8217;s definitely a demand. According to the <a href="http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/dementia/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Health Organization (WHO)</a>, an estimated 47 million people worldwide suffer from dementia; by 2030, they expect that figure to reach 75 million.<a href="https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/stages-behaviors/wandering" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Six of every 10</a> of these dementia suffers will wander at some point, traveling from a safe location out into the world where they might get lost.
Clearly, we need a way to quickly track down these wanderers, but is a GPS implant really the best option?
IS IT OVERKILL? We already have <a href="https://safetynettracking.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bracelets</a> and <a href="https://www.networknewswire.com/networknewsbreaks/networknewsbreaks-gtx-corps-gtxo-gps-smartsole-tracking-technology-selected-by-george-mason-university-grant-for-wandering-prediction-research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shoes</a> that dementia patients can wear to ensure they&#8217;re found quickly if they wander. SafetyNet Tracking Systems&#8217; bracelet might actually be even more useful than the implant because it doesn&#8217;t rely on GPS, which can be spotty in remote areas or inside buildings. Instead, the bracelet emits a radio frequency signal that law enforcement can pick up. Sure, it requires a battery, but that only needs changed every six months.
There&#8217;s also the issue of personal autonomy — for people in the throes of a disease that makes them lose their memory, can dementia sufferers consent (and really understand) if they give permission to receive a GPS implant? Would we even need their permission if the person is under the guardianship of a family member or doctor?
Ultimately, while a GPS implant might seem like a logical solution to a growing problem, we might want to reserve our implants for the people who know exactly what they’re getting into, like 32M’s employees.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/22/three-square-market-plans-gps-chip-dementia-patients.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin Company Known for Microchipping Employees Plans GPS Tracking Chip for Dementia Patients</a> [CNBC]
More on Three Square Market (32M): <a href="https://futurism.com/this-u-s-company-is-offering-to-put-microchips-in-their-employees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This U.S. Company Is Offering to Put Microchips in Their Employees</a>

The company already offers to microchip its employees.

A tech company wants to implant GPS trackers in dementia patients

Enhanced Humans

A Wisconsin vending machine company is developing a GPS implant for people suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

A Tech Company Wants to Implant GPS Trackers in Dementia Patients

Is this really the best way to keep wanderers safe?

Wallets are such a bother. They flop around your pocket or purse, swelling as they munch on rarely-used loyalty cards and superfluous receipts.
But we&#8217;re living in the freakin&#8217; future now. Why do we still have to lug around several different credit cards, or keys for irritating doors to the car and the office, when technology has far surpassed the need for any of them?
Lots of people are moving to store these sorts of things in their smartphones, of course, using services like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-pay-is-more-popular-with-retailers-than-paypal-charts-2017-10">Apple Pay</a> and <a href="https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/the-august-smartlock-shows-why-you-should-stick-with-dumb-keys/">smart locks</a>. But phones can be lost and hacked. So a growing number of people — including, for whatever reason, about 3,000 Swedes — are opting for something even more invasive, and arguably practical: a surgically inserted microchip, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/microchips-under-skin-technophile-swedes-033147071.html?guccounter=2">according to the Associated French Press</a>.
The chip itself essentially acts as a digital keychain. NFC (near-field communication) is a way of sending information wirelessly from a passive chip to a reader, but only when they are about 4 cm (1.6 in) apart (you might have heard of radio frequency identification, or RFID — NFC is a <a href="https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/difference-between-rfid-and-nfc1.htm">more sophisticated form</a> of it). A chip in the hand can help people do things like sign into the gym, unlock doors to cars and offices, and make credit card payments. Over time, as the technology progresses, the implant will be able to do even more.
The technology itself is not new. In fact, Swedes (and others) have been using microchips this way <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/swedish-people-embed-microchips-under-skin-to-replace-id-cards-2018-5">since at least 2015</a>. Even before then, groups of people have been meeting at <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30144072">&#8220;implant parties,&#8221;</a> often organized by larger companies, to hook themselves up. And the chips are similar to the ones veterinarians implant in dogs and cats so that their owners can find them in case they run away again.
But now, people who get the implant aren&#8217;t counterculture biohackers — they&#8217;re the everyman. This is especially true in Sweden, where these chips are so mainstream that, since June 2017, people have been able to <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/swedish-rail-company-scans-microchip-tickets-17-6">buy train tickets</a> with their microchips.
More bodies equipped with microchips doesn&#8217;t necessary sound like good news to everybody, however. NFC chips right below the skin give corporations a fair amount of control over you — they could track where you are, how long you take for lunch every day, or how many times you went to the bathroom, if the chip were scanned by a reader. And since most chips are <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/25/539265157/wisconsin-company-plans-to-start-implanting-chips-in-its-employees">offered through big companies</a>, it&#8217;s just a matter of time until this happens. And opting out of this kind of data collection is a lot more convoluted when you&#8217;ve got a chip implanted in your bodily tissues. If you want to go off the grid in even the smallest way, you can leave your wallet at home, but removing a microchip requires bit more, uh, effort.
And then there&#8217;s the obvious data security concerns. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/16/wpa2-wifi-security-vulnerable-hacking-us-government-warns">No internet-connected data, no matter how secure it may seem, is safe</a> — even NFC <a href="https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/drive-nfc-hack-work/">can be hacked</a> with the use of a specialized reader and a lot of coding skills. Smartphones have tackled this security problem by combining NFC technology with biometric readings, like your fingerprint. But microchips like these don&#8217;t have such security, which could make your personal info more vulnerable to hacking.
So, we get it, Sweden — you&#8217;re populated by futuristic cyberpunk badasses while most of us are still stuck with humdrum brass keys and overstuffed wallets that bulges like a recently-fed snake. But without additional safeguards, and guarantees of online privacy, the microchipping fad may quickly become a digital security nightmare.

Humans can get chipped, too — just like their dogs.

All the rage in Sweden: embedding microchips under your skin

Sci-Fi Visions

Read about Sweden's microchip implant trend that allows people to replace their wallets and keys for microchips in their hands at Futurism.

The Danger of Sweden's Microchip Implant Trend | Futurism

RIP wallets, implanted microchips are here to stay.

All the Rage in Sweden: Embedding Microchips Under Your Skin

<h2>With a Wave of the Hand</h2>
A vending machine company based in Wisconsin is about to introduce a revolutionary technology in the United States. No, it&#8217;s not a new kind of vending machine, but it may be the future of purchasing vended goods, among other things.
Last week, <a href="https://www.32market.com/public/" target="_blank">Three Square Market (32M)</a> announced <a href="https://www.prlog.org/12653576-three-square-market-microchips-employees-company-wide.html" target="_blank">via a press release</a> that they will begin offering microchip implants to all of their employees as of August 1.
&#8220;Employees will be implanted with a [Radio-Frequency Identification] chip allowing them to make purchases in their break room micro market, open doors, login to computers, use the copy machine, etc.,&#8221; according to the statement. Essentially, implanted employees will be able to do things like buy coffee with a wave of their hand —like a Jedi.
<img class="wp-image aligncenter" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/07/implant-use.png" width="798" height="380" />
Each RFID chip is as small as a grain of rice and will be implanted under the skin between the thumb and the forefinger. The chips each cost about $300 — an expense the company is covering — and while getting the implant is optional, 32M says it expects more than 50 of its employees to volunteer to be chipped.
The implants are being created by <a href="http://biohaxsweden.com/" target="_blank">BioHax International</a>, a company based in Sweden, which is also home to Epicenter, the first company known to have <a href="https://futurism.com/real-life-cyborgs-a-company-is-implanting-its-employees-with-microchips/" target="_blank">implanted microchips in their employees</a>.
<h2>Questions of Privacy and Security</h2>
While these implantable chips sound futuristic, merging technology with the human body isn&#8217;t exactly a new thing — prosthetics and brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are two better known examples. Generally, these pairings have some sort of medical purpose, though, aiding in the <a href="https://futurism.com/retinal-implants-could-restore-sight-to-more-than-2-million-people/" target="_blank">restoration or improvement of ailing body parts</a> or helping a person <a href="https://futurism.com/brain-implants-have-allowed-a-quadriplegic-man-to-move-his-arm/" target="_blank">regain movement lost due to injury</a>.
The kind of implant 32M is offering, however, isn&#8217;t exactly in the same league. The RFID chips are designed to carry information, usually personal, that would grant employees access to certain services. As such, these devices are prone to potential security and privacy problems or could <a href="https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ucm072141.htm#4d" target="_blank">even cause health issues</a>.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VleiVpmMkEE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Companies often claim that these chips are secure and encrypted,” Alessandro Acquisti, IT and public policy professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/technology/microchips-wisconsin-company-employees.html" target="_blank">told the </a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/technology/microchips-wisconsin-company-employees.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>. However, “encrypted” is “a pretty vague term,” he added, “which could include anything from a truly secure product to something that is easily hackable.”
Anticipating such concerns, 32M prepared <a href="https://32market.com/public/images/QA.pdf" target="_blank">an FAQ list</a> where it guaranteed that the chips aren&#8217;t trackable and don&#8217;t even have GPS capabilities. According to this list, the chips only contain the information employees choose to link to them. Still, Acquisti urges caution as the functionality of the chips could change after implantation. &#8220;It’s very hard to predict or stop a future widening of their usage,&#8221; he asserts.
Clearly, while this technology promises an exciting future, employees should carefully consider all angles before committing to it.

These employees will navigate the workplace effortlessly.

METABOLIC MONITORING IMPLANT

Employees at this company will be able to use chips implanted in their hands to access a number of office devices, open doors, and even buy snacks.

This U.S. Company Is Offering to Put Microchips in Their Employees

Meet the cyborg employees of the future.

After being paralyzed from the shoulders down, this quadriplegic man has regained use of his hands through a brain-implanted microchip.

Watch This Quadriplegic Man Play Guitar Hero After Regaining Use Of His Hands

<h2>Pooch Patrol </h2>
As of April 6, 2016, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/compulsory-dog-microchipping-comes-into-effect" target="_blank">UK law</a> requires all dogs eight weeks or older to have microchip implants. 
If a pooch is caught without the microchip implant, the owner will be given 21 days to comply with the new regulations. In cases where the dog owner is negligent, he or she will be made to pay a fine. In such cases, the authorities could also take the dog away from the owner, have it implanted with the microchip, and then compel the owner to pay for the procedure anyway. 
<figure style="width: 620px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img style="width: 620px; float: none;" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2016/04/143950785649m8m.jpg" alt="" width="620" height="412" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">MorgueFile</figcaption></figure>
In a <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35972480" target="_blank">BBC report</a>, Simon Blackburn of the Local Government Association, said that microchips will address &#8220;reckless&#8221; ownership, as well as save taxpayers&#8217; cash that would otherwise be used to look after strays. Moreover, the microchips will make it easier and quicker to return dogs to their owners in case they are stolen or lost. 
<h2>Chip Tricks</h2>
The microchip that the UK government wants implanted into dogs is about the size of a single grain of rice. <a href="https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/microchipping/microchipping-faq-page" target="_blank">Dogs Trust</a> — the country&#8217;s largest dog welfare charity — explained, &#8220;with the use of a specially designed implanting device, the microchip is injected through a sterile needle under the dog’s skin, right between the shoulder blades.&#8221; The procedure causes a mild discomfort similar to what is felt during a standard vaccination. 
The chip is assigned a unique number that can be read by a scanner. The number corresponds to the dog owner&#8217;s contact details. All this information is logged on a central database. If the dog ever goes missing, all the authorities have to do is use the scanner to find out who the dog&#8217;s owner is and how to get in touch with him or her. 
Currently, it&#8217;s estimated that more than <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2016/04/05/dog-microchipping-mandatory/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000589" target="_blank">1.45 million</a> dogs still need to be implanted with microchips. In any case, when dogs are out in public, they&#8217;re still required to wear a collar with a tag that states the name and address of the owner. The microchip, though, serves as the fail-safe feature.

Future Society

As of April 6, 2016, UK law requires all dogs that are eight weeks old or older to have microchip implants. Microchips will address "reckless" ownership, as well as save taxpayers' cash that would otherwise be used to look after strays. 

/Microchip

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