Implantable Identifiers

Do We Need Implantable ID Chips to Protect Children?

An implantable identifier is implanting a microchip in a human body. A human microchip implant typically uses RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) technology, which can recognize information from a long distance by using radio wave. Actually, this technology has been used in identifying and tracking pets or farm animals. As time passes, the scope of application of this technology has expanded, and now there is a controversy about implanting the chip on human bodies. People are discussing inserting the chip to criminals, patients, and children. Among them, I’ll talk about the controversy about implantation of the microchip on children and analyze what risks and benefits it has.

Before I get to the body, there is something to talk about first. What kinds of information does the microchip contain? Usually, it includes a unique ID number that can be connected with personal information contained in an external database, such as personal identification, medical history, contact information, and records of law enforcement. Because the kinds of this information are personal and sensitive things, the damage from leaking or abusing them is big.

Many parents concern about losing their kids. Taylor (2015) explains that the number of missing children was 8,003 in 2013, which was estimated by the New York State Department of Justice. It is not a small number so many parents consider implanting the microchip on their kids. It is very helpful when they lose the child because they can track their child by using GPS contained in the microchip and find the kid fast. Also, when the child is kidnapped by someone, time is very important. This is because in the case of child abduction, the earlier you find out a child’s location, the more likely he or she will live. In this situation, the implantable ID chip is useful for reducing the time.

However, there are some risks to implant ID chips to children. At first, it could be an invasion of privacy. If the children are very young especially like newborns, their parents usually decide everything about kids and protect their safety because they don’t have the ability to judge something. So, actually, invasion of privacy is not a big problem in this time when they implant microchips to their children. However, when they grow up and become teenagers, the situation is different. In adolescence, most teenagers undergo confusion of self-identity. They want to hang out with friends than family and want to have their own space. This is a very natural phenomenon and through this period, they can establish their self-identity and develop their independence from their parents. Many parents worry that their kids rebel them and become juvenile delinquents. So, they sometimes try to control their kids in many ways. I think that implanting ID chips could become one of the ways to monitor the children although it has started as means to protect them when they are young. Therefore, parents don’t have any right to implanting the chips on their young kids’ body because it can be the problem when they become teenagers although it can be picked out later. Children also deserve respect as human beings regardless of age. Especially, teenagers also have their privacy that they don’t want to show their parents.

The second risk is that the information could leak and it leads to crime. According to “A Gift of Fire 4^th edition” (2012), it is easy to read or intercept the information of monitoring system. Human microchips include sensitive personal information. If it leaks, children can be in danger. The chips implanted to protect kids can be used to kidnap them.

For this reason, I would not support the government if the government proposed legally requiring ID chips in children under the age of 5. I think the disadvantages are greater than the advantage from implanted ID chips on children’s body. It is the invasion of privacy and it makes the children face danger rather than protects them. In addition, I cannot believe the safety of microchips. Nobody assures whether it could cause health problems such as a tumor.

There are many other ways to protect children besides implantable ID chips. For example, In South Korea, the government encourages parents to register their children’s fingerprint. It is the method to find their kids when they lose them. If someone finds a lost child and takes the child to the police officer or the child go to that place by him/herself, police can find the parents by using the fingerprint. Another way is making kids wear a bracelet, which has GPS device. Many parents actually use this rubber bracelet to protect their young babies. Although this method also has the risk of leakage of information, this is more effective and comfortable for kids because it is removable. Once the children have grown up, they can communicate with their parents and decide whether they keep using this device. Also, parents don’t concern about the side effect of implantable ID chips.

References

Baase, S. (2012, July 12). A gift of fire 4^th edition. NJ: Pearson

Taylor, J. (2015, August 18). Can we microchip our kids to prevent kidnapping? OBSERVER. Retrieved from http://observer.com/2015/03/can-we-microchip-our-kids-to-prevent-kidnapping/