I don’t know how on earth this item escaped main world news, but here’s an excerpt and link from Towleroad.
A doctor involved in the preparation of a healthcare regulation bill in the Indonesian province of Papua cited dangerous behavior among some infected with the HIV as the reason lawmakers are considering the use of microchip implants in tracking some HIV carriers. [Link]
I’m astounded. I’m also a member of Harris Poll, and in most of the ones I have completed in the last year, there is a question near the end of the survey about “Which of the following things do you consider a serious violation of privacy?”
On that list are things like thorough screenings at airports based on visual profiles, cookies on your computer that track personal preferences, unrequested telemarketing calls, and screening prospective employees for AIDS.
Just imagine if you had to walk through a security portal that not only scanned your badge to see if you were an employee, but also scanned for a microchip inside you that classified you as being HIV+…
Aside from the personal privacy issues, I’m thinking of the complete humiliation for having one of MANY diseases that have no cure and are contagious. Are we going to tag people who regularly get the flu? What about herpes - that could mean chipping nearly the entire population. What if I have a chronic cold - like half the people I work with every day? You can’t cure the cold, and it’s highly contagious - why not chip me for that too?
I’m just picturing big red flashing lights going off above the portal if someone walks through not in 100% good health. We’d all have to wear earplugs, because it would be going off non-stop.
*Airport screening image from NASA Explores *