The head of Germany’s main IT trade body told the audience at the opening ceremony of the CeBIT technology exhibition that one in four of his countrymen are happy to have a microchip inserted for ID purposes.
Professor August Wilhelm Scheer made the comments at an event this week to announce the start of the show which runs until Saturday in the German city of Hanover. With around 4000 companies from over 70 countries expected at the event, CeBIT continues to be the largest tech show in Europe according to its organisers.
Rather than being based on pure speculation, Scheer said that his organistion BITKOM had actually conducted research which had shown that a quarter of Germans would be happy to have a chip implanted if it meant they could access services more easily.
“We just carried out a survey and one out of four people are happy to have a chip planted under their skin for very trivial uses for example to pass gates more quickly at a discotheque for example and to be able to pay for things more quickly in the supermarket,” said Scheer. “The wilingness of the population to accept our technology is certainly given.”
Tech implants are already gaining ground in the field of healthcare. Last August saw the first US implant of the Accent RF pacemaker. Combined with remote sensoring capabilities, the Accent allows doctors to more efficiently monitor patients, while patients enjoy the convenience of care from home.
As well as his predictions for more outlandish technologies, Scheer also made reference to the rise of cloud computing and the disruptive effect it was having on the software industry. “Cloud computing is something that is going to revolutionise the software industry and mix everything up,” he said. “That is forseeable already but there are going to be many surprises on top of that.”
Scheer also commented on Europe’s role as an innovator and user of technology but admitted that countries such as China and India were threatening to catch-up and even overtake. “We are the number four in Germany when it comes to be using of technology,” he said. “Europe by the way is the largest user and we are even ahead of Asia. But the Asian countries are of course going to catch-up.”
Green IT was one of the major focuses for the CeBIT event last year with around 2000 square meters given over to a dedicated Green IT World.
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listen up all folks . this is a lie from the word go . all must reject this rfid technology. you will be SORRY if you receive this device. you will be ultimately controlled . is this what you came to planet earth for ? to be controlled like a robot ? keep your freedom , keep your independence . THIS IS A CRIME AGAINST THE PRIME DIRECTIVE OF THIS PLANET, ITS EVOLUTION, DESTINY, AND OUTCOME OF THE HUMAN RACE . ONCE TAKEN , WELL I GUESS YOUR SOUL IS THEIR , ISNT IT? stay free.
I completely agree. Who would ever agree to such a thing? It's like "1984" - Big Brother is watching you. What is happening with this world??????
Ich Glaube nicht! Wo ist datum? I cannot believe this. Most Germans are far too aware or libertarian for this IMO.
You guys are ridiculous. They aren't proposing implanting objects to control your thoughts or movements. Simply devices that can send out info like your ID or maybe even your credit card number so you can just walk through a scanner and be on your way. I think that with enough safety mechanisms in place, it could be an awesome bit of tech.
The main objection I would have to a chip implant is an issue of control. Would I also have a device for reading the entire contents of my chip? Would I be in control of who, where & when my chip is accessible? Would I be in control of who can write and what is written to my chip? Would I be able to update my chip?
Perhaps I am too jaded, but I believe that the answer to all of these questions would be an emphatic "NO!". I expect that I would also be told that being denied such controls is for my own protection and that to even want such controls would cast an air of suspicion over me, as though only a terrorist or criminal would want such controls, surely not a law-abiding, god-fearing citizen... after all, what am I trying to hide...
We would think that not having such levels of control over our wallet is unreasonable, yet we would be expected to accept a "sealed wallet" approach to these chips. The saddest part of it all is that most people, even the initial grumblers, will eventually accept this further invasion to our privacy and self-determination. People are too willing to give up their personal freedoms.
Came to planet earth for? Controlled like a robot?
Joseph, I think you've got some things to sort out with your therapist.
Why don't they put these chips in mobile phones. Who doesn't own one today ? Better than having under your skin
I thought I was as paranoid as the next person. Guess not. Nobody's mooting the idea of enforced chipping or barcode tattoos or anything of the sort. Implanted chips with privacy data on them will almost certainly not become popular because the technology is not/will not be uncrackable. Panic over having your bank account hacked while walking down to the market will ensure it is not forced upon people.
That being said, if it's a chip implant that automatically marks you as "of age" for entering a place that serves alcohol or whatever (and that's all it contains), I can see a perfectly reasonable argument for them. I know I wouldn't mind being able to grab a beer without having to display identification, and there could be applications allowing quicker passage in airports, etc.
I'm pretty sure the chips in mind weren't secret RFID tags that would track your thought-crimes. Generally tech-speakers don't like those or present them at expos; that's the sort of thing reserved for government leaders.
Does anyone REALLY buy this? RF-ID technology is the worst possible threat to human rights possible the advantage of being able to go through a line faster nowhere near out-weighs the total loss of the ability to move w/o having your every movement tracked record and used by the government to restrict your freedom. For perfect illustration of this it is highly recommend reading "Little Brother" Cory Doctorow- which you can of course read online.
As long as my ID chip can't be scanned involuntarily (i.e. it has very limited range, or I can easily turn it off), I'd be up for this. It'd be like a more convenient version of flashing a drivers license or scanning a credit card. Nothing more.
But if I couldn't stay out of range of scanners or turn it off, then I'd be as uneasy about this as I am about GPS in my cell phone.