September 10th, 2007
Today's Debate: Do RFID implants kill?
A series of studies going back 10 years shows implanted RFID chips can cause cancer.
An AP story on this today is exploding across the blogosphere.
- Slashdot notes that California recently had to pass a law prohibiting companies from requiring that employees be “chipped” on privacy grounds.
- A conservative news site calls RFID implants “cancer chips” and says Verichip is finished.
- Gizmodo notes that Tommy Thompson, onetime Presidential candidate and the HHS Secretary who approved use of Verichips in 2005, then went onto the Verichip board.
Verichip continues to defend the chips. A press release notes the FDA approval, says millions of pets have been chipped over the last 15 years, and adds that mice get tumors real easy. A spokesman was on “Good Morning America” this morning. (Unfortunately I prefer Meredith Viera on “Today.”)
Personally I think this could go either way. Anyone remember all those stories from a few years ago about cell phones causing cancer? Seen them lately? Cell phones are still being sold.
Or this could be the real deal. Anything which emits radio waves, as RFID chips do in response to a reader, is always going to be suspect.
Which way do you think it will go?
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist since 1978, and has covered technology since 1982. He launched the Interactive Age Daily, the first daily coverage of the Internet to launch with a magazine, in September 1994. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
Subscribe to ZDNet Healthcare via Email alerts or RSS.
