A Swedish start-up offers subcutaneous implants that may contain information. One of the possible applications is the safeguarding of the health pass, as revealed in an AFP report. Sparking a buzz on social media, the company released a statement to add more precision to its product.
Subcutaneous implants are nothing new. For almost 10 years, companies have been offering tiny modules to position under the skin. Operating with contactless technology, they embed various information. In November, we mentioned in our columns an implant allowing payment without contact with the hand. But other applications are possible.
With this implant under the skin, your health pass follows you everywhere
One of them was mentioned by a Swedish start-up called DSruptive Subdermals. This is to safeguard the health pass. Thanks to a passive subcutaneous implant, you always have the possibility of validating your health pass with you. So imagine: when you go to a place where you have to prove that you are not contagious, there is no more need to take out a sheet of paper or your smartphone: just reach out to validate your sesame. It is convenient.
A demonstration was made to our colleagues from AFP who posted a short video on Twitter on December 21. This obviously made the buzz. At the time of writing, she is accumulating 3.3 million views and over 9,000 retweets or tweets cited. And the comments raise many questions regarding privacy and the protection of personal data. What does this implant actually do? Is he connected? Can it be tracked? Is it secure?
The implant is passive, does not transmit information and cannot be tracked
DSruptive Subdermals issued a press release on December 23 to answer these questions. And the first important information is the word passive. The component carrying no battery, he cannot transmit information on its own. It must be “read” by a device. It is the same principle as a navigo pass or a contactless credit card. No battery. No GPS. No WiFi. No bluetooth.
Then, DSruptive Subdermals explains that the demonstration is made with a chip ” multifunction “. It is not dedicated to transporting the health pass. But she can do it. As it could also carry your digital car key or the password of your cryptocurrency wallet. Of course, an application and a compatible terminal can read the information contained therein. The data must then be encrypted to be protected.
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The cost of the implant is 100 euros. DSruptive Subdermals explains that the service life is several decades. The start-up compares this with the cost of a smartphone or a smartwatch, believing that the investment is within the reach of the greatest number. Do you still have to get started? Because, beyond the questions of security and private life, there is that of transhumanism. Are you tempted by the experience? Go to the comments to continue the discussion.
