George Orwell never could have envisioned a world where everyone voluntarily allows themselves to be tracked when he wrote “1984.” Our cell phones have GPS tracking; internet providers track where we go online; and, surveillance cameras in stores, at red lights, in ATMs and in stores watch us every minute as we go about our daily lives.) However, are we ready for a device that tracks us every single second?
How does a computer chip work?
A small computer chip, about the size of a grain of rice, is embedded right under the skin. The chip has a GPS tracking locator so the person can be located no matter where he or she travels. The chip can also be encoded with personal information including name, address, emergency contact information, medical information, etc.
Pros of tracking computer chips
- Missing children – Missing children could be located immediately with the GPS tracking chip to solve kidnapping and lost children cases much faster.
- Senior care – Patients with Alzheimer’s that wander off or get lost could be found much quicker with a GPS tracking chip embedded into their arms.
- Emergency information – With one swipe of a reader, emergency responders could receive vital health information about patients.
- Disasters – Having GPS locating chips embedded under the skin would make search and recovery faster in the aftermath of a natural disaster or man-made disaster (i.e. the tsunami and 9/11).
- Lost pets – Similar chips are already used in pets for identifying information. GPS tracking chips could help find lost pets – – keeping a child from losing his or her best friend.
- Privacy issues – Just like in “1984”, if we allow a chip to be embedded to track our location who says the government or corporations will not use this information to invade our privacy.
- Health concerns – The long-term side effects from embedded tracking chips are still not known. Years of testing need to be completed before we know if they are completely safe.
- Cost – Unless health insurance companies cover most of the cost for implanting GPS tracking chips, the cost will probably be too expensive for most people.
- Technology – The technology is still developing; therefore, jumping the gun now may mean having to replace the chip when new technology makes the chip better and safer.
- Abuses – Unfortunately, technology has shown us that people will use it for personal gain or just to prove they can do something (i.e. hackers). There is no guarantee that personal GPS chips would not be vulnerable to hacking and thereby vulnerable to abuse by individuals and companies.
Cons of tracking computer chips
Bottom line
There are great benefits for having a GPS tracking chip embedded in your arm; however, security and health concerns may override those benefits for the near future.
There are some highly specialized companies which can make apps with highly advanced alghoritms like RFID tagging systems. Generally speaking, the more advanced the hardware is, the more advanced software will be required to utilize its full capatibilities.