Topic: Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) chip implant

Course Objectives

This assessment task relates to the following course objectives:

• understand the principles of the Australian Computer Society Code of Ethics to IT professional practice

• value and understand the legal, social and ethical issues involved in IT professional practice within a cultural context

Background

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) chip technology has been in existence for many years now. RFID chips have been attached to many items to enable the collection of information about the items, and to track the movement of items. RFID technology has been increasingly utilised in providing efficient and effective solutions for product tracking in the supply chain arena (http://rfidarena.com/2013/11/14/benefits-of-implementing-rfid-in-supply-chain-management.aspx). Other applications of the technology include library management, transportation management for perishable food and pharmaceutical drugs, and anti-theft processes in retail outlets. More recent applications of this technology include the embedding of RFID chips into animals and ultimately into the human body. A tiny chip can perform a variety of tasks in relation to the object the chip is attached to or embedded, including the storage of key information related to object.

In today's world it is quite common with animals (e.g. cats and dogs) to be micro-chipped with ownership information. Proponents of utilising this technology in humans argue that there are many benefits to individuals and communities as a whole including providing ready access to health and medical information, the ability to locate missing persons, and the ability to track and monitor the activities of criminals or persons of interest (e.g. Sex offenders, Terrorism suspects). Opponents of the utilising this technology in humans point to security of information and privacy concerns, and the potential for this technology to result in a ‘big brother' state where the state has the ability to track and control all citizens.

Requirements

Students are required to undertake an ethical analysis of the benefits and issues associated with RFID chip implants in a human context. Students will prepare an essay which analyses RFID chip implants in humans through the lens of each of the FOUR (4) ethical philosophies presented in lectures, and ONE (1) value selected from the Australian Computer Society's (ACS) code of ethics.

When analysing RFID chip implants, consider ONE (1) of the following ethical dilemmas:

• Is the practise of implanting RFID chips into humans appropriate?

• How should the practise of RFID chip implants in humans be governed?

• Do the benefits of RFID chip implants for individuals, organisations and/or the broader community outweigh security and privacy concerns with RFID chip implants?

For assistance in essay writing techniques, see: http://federation.edu.au/current-students/learning-and-study/online-help-with/essay-writing.

Essays should contain the following components in the structure indicated.

• title page

• abstract:

Radio frequency identification (RFID) chip implants for humans are no longer the tales of science fiction. Already preliminary findings have shown that the number of people willing to get chipped has increased since the technology's commercial arrival in 2002, despite the fact that adoption rates have been very low. This investigation presents three case studies of the main users/ innovators of humancentric chip implants. The first case is of a British researcher in an academic institution who has conducted several implant experiments; the second case, is of a hobbyist and entrepreneur who has focused on the use of RFID implants for personal space applications; and the third is a family who opted to receive RFID implants from a commercial organization. The results of the cases are collated and presented within a real-life context scenario. The intent of the scenario is to showcase the potential societal implications if widespread adoption of the technology was to ensue. Besides the privacy and security themes that are commonly discussed in chip implant studies, other issues covered by this scenario include that of equity and ethics. For instance, will chip implant technology cause a division in upper and lower social classes? And the ethical question of who decides who gets chipped? It was found that an implantee's motivation to getting a chip implant is closely linked to the experiences they each hope to have after implantation. The scenario leaves the reader pondering whether or not widespread adoption of chip implants will be detrimental to society or just another techno-cultural change.

• table of contents

• introduction

• ethical analysis of RFID chip implanted in the body of a human being:

The more controversial ethical issues with RFID deal with such chips being used for implantation into humans and animals. They are implanted so that they can be used to store information or as a tracking device. Usually in pets, such as a dog or cat, the RFID chip is implanted into the ear and can be used to locate a pet that has gone missing. It is also used in tracking cattle, goats and sheep. Almost every veterinarian has the ability to use implantation in their clinic, proving that RFID has proven to be an extremely useful technology when it comes to tracking animals for their owners or other such purposes.10 RFID chips for human implantation, however, is a recently growing trend that has some people feeling more uncomfortable than implantation in animals. A company called VeriChip 5 has developed a RFID chip that can be implanted into humans. It is only 1 1mm long, can be read from four feet away, and it is designed to go under the skin so it is unrecognizable. The creators of this RFID technology designed it with the idea in mind to be implanted into children, Alzheimerí s patients in danger of running away, and anyone else with a medical disability. The creators of the VeriChip have also created the VeriMed, VeriPrime, VeriKid, and the VeriPay.11 One use for the VeriChip is for it to be implanted into immigrants. The VeriChip would be encapsulated in glass and then injected into flesh, which could then be read by a radio signal silently and through clothes. It would be a way to number and identify individuals, as well as a way to monitor the influx of immigration. The idea of implanting the VeriChip into immigrants has recently been heightened by the Bush administration, with proponents saying that we need to know who is in our country and why they are here.î12 The chips could also potentially be used for identifying guest workers to know when they cross the border, and ensure that they do not overstay past their allotted time. If immigrants were implanted with the chip, employers could also then be monitored for enforcement purposes. While some may say that it is the government s job to regulate immigration and prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country, this instance of utilizing RFID technology seems to be a little extreme. Looking at the matter from the previously mentioned utilitarian and consequence-based ethical frameworks, implanting immigrants with RFID chips would probably have fewer benefits for the general population as a whole. Some may claim that illegal immigrants take jobs, but other than that, there is no real harm being done by the immigrants. The real issue is the entire right of a human being to have control over their own lives and be able to live without constant monitoring and removal of freedoms. In this instance, we do not agree that RFID technology would be beneficial, as removing innate freedoms from human beings is a far larger issue than illegal immigrants entering the United States. If something like this was allowed, one might start to question where the government would draw the line. What would stop them from next implanting RFID chips into their citizens to make sure they doní t violate any laws?

o Utilitarianism:

Because RFID technology raises numerous ethical issues, we will evaluate these issues through utilitarian and consequence-based ethical frameworks. Utilitarian-based ethics focuses on what provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people, while consequence-based ethics emphasizes the importance of the outcome of every decision, rather than the means used to reach that decision. Although there are ethical concerns with some aspects of human implantation of RFID chips, the overall benefits that RFID technology provides, including increased safety and efficiency, outweigh the concerns. In regards to consequence-based frameworks, the privacy that may be lost far offsets the safety that will be gained by the technology. We believe that while RFID technology has enough benefits to be a useful technology, it needs more control and regulation to make sure it is safe from potential abuse.

o deontology

o social contract

o character based

o ACS code of ethics

• conclusion

• recommendations (ITECH 7203 students only)

• references

• appendices

The introduction section should provide context and background on the issue of RFID chip implanted in humans. It should clearly indicate the dilemma being discussed and provide an overview of how you intend to address the problem and proposed solution(s).

The body section of the essay should contain an overview of each of the four ethical theories, and the ACS code of ethics. It should include a discussion and proposed solution for the dilemma, from each of the four ethical theoretical viewpoints, and the ACS code of ethics. The discussion should show an analysis and synthesis of research undertaken and your own ideas.

Writing should be validated with concepts from other people's work. Gather these references from various sources such as the Internet, assigned text books and readings etc. For assistance with in-text referencing and formatting your reference see: http://federation.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/164121/FedUni-General-Guide-to-Referencing-2014.pdf.

Additional Task for Postgraduate Students

Write a set of recommendations, on your overall preferred ethical approach for solving the ethical dilemmas posed, and include a discussion of the modern ethical approach in your answer. Explore each of the various options, and indicate why one option is preferred over another. Use references to validate your work.

Academic Writing and Presentation

Please refer to the General guide for the presentation of academic work, available electronically on the university's website. URL: http://federation.edu.au/current-students/learning-and-study/online-help-with/study-skills-and-writing-guides. Adhere to the academic writing standards such as correct grammar and spelling, and presentation and layout as outlined in the guide.

Reading Materials

Study materials including lecture notes, tutorial problems and their solutions, online materials and relevant sections of the prescribed text.
Microchip implant (human) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchip_implant_(human)

2014 RIFD implants leading to 666 Mark of the Beast - End Times news prophecy update - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie69AWF_oD8

Tagging dad video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jExkLS_onuY

Ethical decision making - http://www.dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com/ddhright.aspx?id=8548