---
title: "Michigan Is Trying to Make It Illegal For Companies to Put Microchips in Their Employees"
description: "Michigan lawmakers want to ban force RFID chip implants in the workplace as a way to protect employees' personal privacy."
date: "2020-06-26"
modified: "2020-06-26"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/michigan-illegal-companies-microchips-employees"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "microchips"
  - "RFID"
  - "the digest"
---

# Michigan Is Trying to Make It Illegal For Companies to Put Microchips in Their Employees

![Michigan lawmakers want to ban force RFID chip implants in the workplace as a way to protect employees' personal privacy.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/michigan-illegal-companies-microchips-employees.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Amal Graafstra/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Oh Big Brother

Michigan lawmakers just introduced a bill that would ban employers from implanting their workers with microchips — unless, of course, the worker in question volunteered.

In recent years, a [growing number](<https://futurism.com/british-companies-implanting-microchips>) of companies have explored the idea of tagging their employees with subdermal, rice-sized RFID chips. Companies defend the chips as a way to track productivity, but doing so comes with glaring privacy violations. Now, if the Michigan bill is enacted, *[ABC News ](<https://www.abc12.com/content/news/Bill-requires-employers-to-keep-implanted-microchips-voluntary-for-workers-571487171.html>)*[reports](<https://www.abc12.com/content/news/Bill-requires-employers-to-keep-implanted-microchips-voluntary-for-workers-571487171.html>) that the chips could only be implanted on a [voluntary basis](<https://futurism.com/sweden-microchip-trend>).

## Dueling Conspiracies

While there are [countless conspiracy theories](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/fbi-conspiracy-theorists-domestic-terrorism>) out there in which believers insist the government is trying to implant tracking chips in the populace, this bill is a clear example of lawmakers stepping in to make sure the private sector respects employee's privacy.

"With the way technology has increased over the years and as it continues to grow," Bronna Kahle, a Michigan State Representative who sponsored the bill, told *ABC*, "it's important Michigan job providers balance the interests of the company with their employees' expectations of privacy."

## Pre-emptive Strike

So far, privacy-violating implants aren't a big problem in Michigan, Kahle told *ABC*. But she wants to get protections in place before they become an issue.

"While these miniature devices are on the rise, so are the calls of workers to have their privacy protected," she told *ABC*.

**READ MORE:** [Bill requires employers to keep implanted microchips voluntary for workers](<https://www.abc12.com/content/news/Bill-requires-employers-to-keep-implanted-microchips-voluntary-for-workers-571487171.html>) \[*ABC News*\]

**More on workplace RFID chips:** *[This U.S. Company Is Offering to Put Microchips in Their Employees](<https://futurism.com/this-u-s-company-is-offering-to-put-microchips-in-their-employees>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)