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The small bump on the back of Dave Williams' hand is about the size of a grain of rice and lies between his thumb and forefinger. It's hardly noticeable, but when he opens the door of his house with her, he becomes the center of attention.
This UK software engineer, who works for Mozilla, has a built-in electronic chip, an electronic circuit in the form of a pill that works with wireless technology.
"I have a very bad memory," he told the BBC. That's why he decided to implement this little device that allows him not to panic if he forgets the keys to the house.
This is the same kind of tokens as offashion in Sweden and in other Western countries Germany, Australia and New Zealand, where several initiatives have been conducted to promote this futuristic technology.
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But the case of Sweden is particularly attracting attention. Thousands of people in the northern nation – some 3000, according to a May AFP report this year, microchips have already been incorporated. Although the figure is likely to be even higher.
"More and more Swedes are implanting RFID chips into their hands and using them to unlock the doors, & # 39; wear & # 39; tickets train and even make payments"says BBC World Ben Libberton, a microbiology doctor who works in the MAX IV laboratory in Lund, southern Sweden.
A "practical" system
An RFID, unlike a barcode, allows remote access to the information it contains. It is used in anti-theft tags, in ski resorts and also in"identification chips" for pets.
They are also implemented in most smartphones and contactless cards, as well as in ePbadports.
But in recent years, its use in humans has gained special relevance. Sweden leads the trend.
The theme started making headlines in 2015Epicenter, a high-tech company based in Stockholm, caused controversy by announcing that she was going to plant chips for her workers.
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By turning the wrist, employees could access the building, use the photocopier or pay a coffee.
"The biggest advantage is convenience"said Patrick Mesterton, co-founder and director of the company, in 2017. "This can replace a lot of things like credit cards or keys."
Pay by hand
The chips make it possible payments without touching (without touching), a practice especially developed in Sweden where only 1% of the value of all transactions made in 2016 was made in cash.
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Some of these transactions are done on board trains.
The national railway company SJ – the largest in the country – It is the first in the world to accept this type of payment.
When the smuggler pbades, some pbadengers place their hand near the application of their smartphone. The train ticket seems a thing of the past.
Anyone with such a chip in their hand must first register with the company to obtain a number and pay.
Stephen Ray, director of communication at SJ, is very familiar with the system because he himself has a microchip implanted under the skin of his hand.
In this way, the mobile phone screen of the reviewer indicates that the pbadenger has paid the ticket and show him his number and his name.
"Optional"
"The only information that SJ reads on chip tickets is the membership number of the SJ Loyalty Program," Ray told BBC Mundo.
"This number it is not considered confidential and the privacy of customers is guaranteed from our point of view, "he adds.
For now, this technology is only used in your business for regional trips. But the plan is that it covers a lot more.
However, Ray specifies that "It will never be mandatory" for their customers to implement these chips and that "they are only envisaged asan optional servicethat we always consider as a test project ".
Stephen explains that the idea is to extend this initiative to other areas (and other payments) of everyday life, such as credit cards.
However, not everyone is in favor of the chips or have such an optimistic vision.
"This technology reduces the number of cards and peripherals they need, it" miniaturizes "enormously, preventing them from losing them," Libberton told BBC Mundo.
But the microbiologist warns that he fears that the chips will undermine the privacy and security of those who use them.
"These chips being integrated with more digital services, they will reveal more data if they are compromised. This is a weak point in security, " Explain
"Imagine if you use it to unlock your home or access your bank account. I fear that its convenience does not facilitate the leakage of important data. "
And leave a question unanswered: "The risks will be even greater when they start integrating biological data Flea. If a company knows more than you about your own health, What are the ethical implications and who decides the rules? ", concludes.
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