Ever worried that your boss might by spying on you? Well now employees in Wisconsin have real reason to be concerned after their company offered to microchip them.
Tech company, Three Square Market, wants their staff to get a chip implanted under their skin which will allow them to make purchases in the canteen, access the building, use the photocopier and turn on their computer.
Although CEO Todd Westby reassures people that the offer is optional, we’re still not sure we like the sound of this.
Using Radio-Frequency Identification Technology (RFID), the grain-of-rice-sized chip, will be inserted between the thumb and forefinger underneath the skin and it only takes a couple of seconds.
After this, the technology - which is the same used in contactless credit cards and mobile payments - will allow them a seamless way to use devices that require electronically stored information, such as payment details.
The mass chipping will happen at a ‘chip party’ on 1st August (which sounds way more fun than we imagine it will be) and according to the company, already 50 employees have signed up to the program.
Westby says that his company was inspired to start the scheme after seeing similar things at partner businesses in Europe, although they are the first business in the USA to offer microchips.
CEO Todd Westby said in a statement: “We foresee the use of RFID technology to drive everything from making purchases in our office break room market, opening doors, use of copy machines, logging into our office computers, unlocking phones, sharing business cards, storing medical/health information, and used as payment at other RFID terminals. Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities.”
He also wanted to reassure people that there is no GPS tracking in the device, so they cannot see where their employees are, but Twitter was still not convinced.