This trend started two year ago and has grown in acceptance and popularity. As many as 3,000 Swedes have been ‘microchipped’ in their hands in order to buy train tickets, use vending machines and gain entry to secured areas. ⁃ TN Editor
It’s the size of a grain of rice but could hold the key to many aspects of your life. A tiny microchip inserted under the skin can replace the need to carry keys, credit cards and train tickets. That might sound like an Orwellian nightmare to some but in Sweden it is a welcome reality for a growing number who favours convenience over concerns of potential personal data violations. The small implants were first used in 2015 in Sweden — initially confidentially — and several other countries. Swedes have gone on to be very active in microchipping, with scant debate about issues surrounding its use, in a country keen on new technology and where the sharing of personal information is held up as a sign of a transparent society.