How long before we are all microchipped?

[mistermack]

How long do you think it will be before everyone has a microchip?

I'm going to claim that it's absolutely inevitable, and just a matter of time.
It's quite a long time now, since they started to chip animals, and I've never heard a word about any health problems.

It will start out voluntary, for credit payments and health records. Then, they will make it compulsory for any criminal conviction. In the end, it will be so common that it will be easy to make it more and more of a necessity.

I'm guessing that in 25 years or less, practically everyone will have one.

[laklak]

Not while I have my assault weapon.

[Scot Dutchy]

Chipping will not be required.

[pErvinalia]

I wouldn't be surprised if it comes about. Probably first, though, it will become normalised via human(biological)/technology interfaces. So a chip paired up with your brain (or limb, or whatever) that gives you greater perception or sense of some environmental cue, or as a memory aid, that type of thing. Once people are widely using them, and they transmit telemetry and other data (like our phones and operating systems do) to the manufacturers and/or health companies/departments, the next step of compulsory transmission of data to the government (for health and safety reasons, of course...), will be a small step.

[Brian Peacock]

Yeah, your phone literally in the palm of you hand.

[cronus]

They'll use something biological, chips so last century now. Every cell in your body will belong to a bio-tech corporation somewhere. You won't own yourself. On loan. That's the future.

[mistermack]

There's really not much difference between being chipped, and owning a credit card.
But the differences are all good. You won't lose it or have it stolen.
People can't use it to pretend that they are you. If you get ill, the NHS can just scan for the health part for your records and allergies etc.

Bodies can be quickly and reliably identified, saving distress to relatives. Lost children can be quickly reunited with their parents. ( and you can check that they ARE the parents ).

It might even start your car or motorbike, and prevent theft.
You can open your doors with it, so you never lose your house keys.

If strangers knock on your door, you can require that they are scanned, before you open the door. And check their face against the scan.

Events can issue tickets to the buyer, and prevent ticket touts reselling them. No ticket involved, just the ID.

[Rum]

They'll use something biological, chips so last century now. Every cell in your body will belong to a bio-tech corporation somewhere. You won't own yourself. On loan. That's the future.

Something from you I agree with.

It will be our DNA though. You'll just walk out of a shop with your goods - or whatever - and your DNA will be read and the bitcoins automatically deducted from your blockachain account thingy whatsit.

KA-CHING!

[cronus]

They'll use something biological, chips so last century now. Every cell in your body will belong to a bio-tech corporation somewhere. You won't own yourself. On loan. That's the future.

Something from you I agree with.

It will be our DNA though. You'll just walk out of a shop with your goods - or whatever - and your DNA will be read and the bitcoins automatically deducted from your blockachain account thingy whatsit.

KA-CHING!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuromancer

Read the book....know the future. Don't know why I should help you like this?

[Rum]

You assume I haven't read it.

[cronus]

You assume I haven't read it.

I'd expect you to have at a 37% probability.

[JimC]

Vets are so good at this that they might become the go-to service for this...

[Brian Peacock]

Handy if you wander off in nothing but your cardie and slippers.

[pErvinalia]

Vets are so good at this that they might become the go-to service for this...

They'll also be the people you go to to get your chip extracted in some dystopian future where the government is hunting you. I've seen the movies, so know how this will work.

[Hermit]

Part of a pulp science fiction story I read in the 1960s described an army of cloned men with chips implanted in the back of their heads. In addition to the usual capabilities they could also read all thoughts of the person they were implanted in. If that person had rebellious intentions or any other disapproved thought, they'd trigger a small explosive in that person's head, thus terminating the problem.