When George Orwell wrote 1984, he probably never imagined the extent to which his text would become strangely prophetic.

We currently live in the age of fake news and newspeak where the American government, in particular, go out of their way to distort the truth.

In the same vein, Karl Marx predicted the outcome of capitalism, but he could never have seen this coming. And by this, I mean the prospect of British companies implanting staff with microchips.

According to The Guardian, UK firm BioTeq, which offers the implants to businesses and individuals, has already fitted 150 implants in the UK.

The tiny chips, implanted in the flesh between the thumb and forefinger, are similar to those for pets. They enable people to open their front door, access their office or start their car with a wave of their hand, and can also store medical data.

Another company, Biohax of Sweden, also provides human chip implants the size of a grain of rice. It told the Sunday Telegraph (£) that it is in discussions with several British legal and financial firms about fitting their employees with microchips, including one major company with hundreds of thousands of employees.

While some might be reading this and thinking that it sounds more convenient than sinister, think about the implications of your company having the ability to track everything that you do, including your whereabouts, all the time.

In Britain, the Trade Union Congress is concerned that staff could be coerced into being microchipped.

Its general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We know workers are already concerned that some employers are using tech to control and micromanage, whittling away their staff’s right to privacy.

“Microchipping would give bosses even more power and control over their workers. There are obvious risks involved, and employers must not brush them aside, or pressure staff into being chipped.”

The founder of BioTeq, Steven Northam, says that a majority of the microchips implanted have been for individuals, while some financial and engineering firms have also had the chips implanted in their staff.

BioTeq has also implanted them in employees of a bank testing the technology, and has shipped them to Spain, France, Germany, Japan and China.

They cost between £70 and £260 per person. Northam himself and all the directors at BioTeq and one of his other companies, IncuHive, have been microchipped.

You can see the simple procedure here, being performed on Steven Northam. If you’re afraid of needles, you probably shouldn’t click ‘play’.

Not for me, thanks.

Jowan Österlund, the founder of Biohax and a former body piercer, told the Telegraph that his microchips, which cost £150 each, could help financial and legal firms improve security. “These companies have sensitive documents they are dealing with. [The chips] would allow them to set restrictions for whoever.”

Biohax plans on opening an office in London. It also claims that 4 000 people have been microchipped, mostly in Sweden. One of the plans in the works is a new railway that allows its passengers to travel via microchip rather than tickets.

It’s the beginning of the end of privacy.

[source:guardian]