USA TODAY US Edition

Company to install microchips in employees

- Mary Bowerman

Welcome to the future? A Wisconsin technology company is offering its employees microchip implants that can be used to scan into the building and purchase food at work. Whether or not to get a chip is up to the employee to decide.

Three Square Market, a company that provides technology for break-room or micro markets, has over 50 employees who plan to have the devices implanted, KSTP-TV reported. The tiny chip, which uses RFID technology or Radio-Frequency Identifica­tion, can be implanted between the thumb and forefinger “within seconds,” according to a statement from the company.

“It’s the next thing that’s inevitably going to happen, and we want to be a part of it,” Three Square Market Chief Executive Officer Todd Westby told the station.

The company, which is based in River Falls, Wis., envisions the rice-sized micro chip allowing employees to easily pay for items, access the building and their computers all with a scan of their hand.

“We foresee the use of RFID technology to drive everything from making purchases in our office break room market, opening doors, use of copy machines, logging into our office computers, unlocking phones, sharing business cards, storing medical/health informatio­n, and used as payment at other RFID terminals,” Westby said in a company statement. “Eventually, this technology will become standardiz­ed allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunit­ies, etc.”

And while microchipp­ing employees may sound like something out of a horror film, the company is partnering with Swedish company BioHax Internatio­nal, which already has many “chipped” employees.

Employees are not required to get the microchips, and Westby told the station there is no GPS tracking.

 ?? ADAM BERRY, AFP/GETTY IMAGES ?? Patrick Kramer of the company Digiwell uses the microchip implanted in his hand to open a door lock at a press preview of the Wear-it festival in Berlin on June 8.
ADAM BERRY, AFP/GETTY IMAGES Patrick Kramer of the company Digiwell uses the microchip implanted in his hand to open a door lock at a press preview of the Wear-it festival in Berlin on June 8.

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