The idea of injectable payment microchips brings mixed reviews; the concept of convenience with a healthy mix of caution..In 2019, Patrick Paumen, a 37-year-old security guard from the Netherlands, had a contactless payment microchip injected under his skin, as reported by the BBC..“The procedure hurts as much as when someone pinches your skin,” said Paumen.. X-ray-of-implantAn x-ray showing a Walletmor implant, which is injected into a person’s hand after a local anesthetic. .Although the first microchip was implanted into a human back in 1998, British-Polish firm Walletmor became the first company to offer implantable payment chips in 2021..The device — weighing less than a gram and is slightly bigger than a grain of rice — includes a tiny microchip and antenna encased in biopolymer, similar to plastic, and sells for $229 USD..While the Walletmor chip uses the same near-field communication or NFC technology found in smartphones, other payment implants use radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology similar to what is found in contactless debit and credit cards..“The implant can be used to pay for a drink on the beach in Rio, a coffee in New York, a haircut in Paris — or at your local grocery store,” said founder and chief executive Wojtek Paprota..“It can be used wherever contactless payments are accepted.”.According to a 2021 survey of more than 4,000 people in the UK and European Union, 51% said they would consider having a payment chip implanted in their body. Major concerns cited by respondents included “invasiveness and security issues.”.Paprota said his device has regulatory approval and works safely immediately after being implanted without the need for a battery or other power source..The growing concern around implantable technology for many is how advanced it could become, whether it will become trackable, what data could be included and how secure it is..Theodora Lau, author of the book Beyond Good: How Technology is Leading a Business Driven Revolution and financial technology (fintech) expert, said payment chips are just “an extension of the internet of things.”.She said although people are open to the idea of such implants for the convenience, the benefits versus risks must be weighed..“How much are we willing to pay for the sake of convenience?” said Lau..“Where do we draw the line when it comes to privacy and security? Who will be protecting the critical infrastructure, and the humans that are part of it?”.Also cautious of the new technology is Nada Kakabadse, professor of policy, governance and ethics at Reading University’s Henley Business School..“There is a dark side to the technology that has a potential for abuse,” said Kakabadse..“To those with no love of individual freedom, it opens up seductive new vistas for control, manipulation and oppression.”.“And who owns the data? Who has access to the data? And, is it ethical to chip people like we do pets?”.Steven Northam, founder of the UK firm BioTeq, has been making implantable contactless chips since 2017. Northam said his implants were designed for people with disabilities..The technology, according to Northam, has been “used in animals for years” and comes with “no risks.”.Paumen said he is not concerned about being “trackable.”.“RFID chips are used in pets to identify them when they’re lost,” he said..“But it’s not possible to locate them using an RFID chip implant — the missing pet needs to be found physically. Then the entire body gets scanned until the RFID chip implant is found and read.”.Paumen self-describes as a “biohacker” and among his contactless payment chip, he has 32 implants in total, including embedded magnets in his fingertips..“Technology keeps evolving, so I keep collecting more,” he said..“My implants augment my body. I wouldn’t want to live without them. There will always be people who don’t want to modify their body. We should respect that — and they should respect us as biohackers.”.Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandard.news
