CeBIT head claims quarter of Germans want chip implants

Posted on Wednesday, March 03 2010 @ 15:09 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
The head of CeBIT told the audience at the opening ceremony of the show that one in four of Germans would be happy to have a chip implanted under their skin for ID purposes. While the technology has serious privacy consequences, professor August Wilhelm Scheer explained that a quarter of people surveyed said they would accept the technology if it would make their life easier. Some of the practical applications he gave include passing gates more quickly at a discotheque and being able to pay for things more quickly in supermarkets.
As well as foretelling the imminent demise of the CD and DVD, Professor Scheer said that implanting chips into humans was going to become commonplace. “The speed of the development is not going to be reduced this decade,” he told an audience of tech execs and politicians including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “Some developments can already be seen. CDs and DVDs are going to disappear as material sources of information. Wallpaper will be replaced by flat screens and many of us will have chips implanted beneath our skin by the end of next decade.

Rather than being based on pure speculation, Scheer said that his organistion BITKOM had actually conducted research which had shown that a quarter of Germans would be happy to have a chip implanted if it meant they could access services more easily.
More info at eWeek Europe.


About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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