August 5, 2018
On some Swedish trains, passengers carry their e-tickets in their hands. Literally.
Some 3,000 Swedes have opted to have grain-of-rice-sized microchips inserted beneath the skin of their thumbs and index fingers. The chips, which cost about $150, contain personal details, credit card numbers and medical records.
And the Swedes are not alone. There are about 10,000 people worldwide with these implanted chips (though Sweden has the plurality). Fifty employees of Three Square Market, a Wisconsin-based firm, volunteered to receive chip implants that can be used to pay at vending machines and log on to computers. Individuals can order do-it-yourself kits, which come with sterilized tools and a needle to inject the device, or attend “implant parties,” where a professional gives chips to a group. Sometimes they get T-shirts that say “I got chipped.”
The technology is not (yet) without its flaws. When Swedish rail officials began scanning passengers’ microchips, they saw LinkedIn profiles rather than evidence of ticket purchases.