The largest employers' organization in the UK and the country's main trade union body are expressing alarm and concern that UK companies are forcing their staff to implant microchips to improve safety.
The British firm BioTeq, which offers implants for businesses and individuals, has already installed 150 implants in the UK.
The tiny chips implanted in the body between the thumb and forefinger are similar to those used for pets. They allow people to open their front door, access their office, start their car with a flick of their hand, and store their medical records.
However, BioTeq has serious competitors. Another company, Biohax of Sweden, also provides rice grain-sized human implant chips. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, company managers said they are already in talks with several UK law and finance firms for the implantation of all employees. According to Biohax of Sweden, one of the company's future clients has hundreds of thousands of employees.
The CBI (Confederation of British Industries), representing 190,000 UK businesses, expresses concern at this prospect.
A CBI spokesperson says: “While technology is changing the way we work, it also creates a clear discomfort for employees. Instead of chasing innovation, firms should focus on more immediate priorities and focus on the concerns of their employees.”
The TUC (The Trades Union Congress) is also concerned that firms' personnel may be forcibly chipped. Trade Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary Francis O'Grady says: “We know workers are already concerned that some employers are using technology to control and manage, interfering with their employees' right to privacy. Microchipping will give bosses even more power and control over their workers. There are obvious risks of human rights violations and employers should not shrug them off.”
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However, Stephen Northam, founder and owner of BioTeq, tells the Guardian that most of his 150 expensive implants are for business owners, while simpler chips have long been implanted in the financial, legal and engineering staff of BioTeq applicants. people.
So far, BioTeq has implanted simple chips only with employees of a well-known bank, which has agreed to test the technology. Some samples have been sent to Spain, France, Germany, Japan and China for testing. simple standard chips from BioTeq cost between £ 70 and £ 260 per person. Norman himself and all BioTeq employees have such chips.
However, BioTeq's competitors have gone much further. Jovan Österlund, founder of Biohax of Sweden and former piercing parlor owner, told the Sunday Telegraph how his microchips, worth just £ 150, can help financial and legal firms increase security: “These companies have confidential documents they deal with. The chips will allow firms to easily set restrictions on access to these documents. And when the number of company employees goes to hundreds of thousands, the savings on bureaucratic red tape for secrecy are enormous."
However, KPMG, one of the four largest accounting firms, said it did not plan to microchip its employees and "would not even think about it under any circumstances." EY and PwC accounting specialists also said they would not consider the issue of chipping their employees. But Deloitte and other firms simply declined to comment.