FC: FDA permits use of implantable ID chips in humans

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

[There are two obvious questions: Should federal bureaucrats forcibly 
prevent a company from selling implantable chips of this sort? And would it 
be desirable for society to adopt these chips? I think the answer to the 
first is "no," and the answer to the second is also "no." I would not stop 
by government force or intervention people from using such implants, but it 
is reasonable to be concerned about what might happen with widescale 
adoption and speak out against it. Previous Politech message: 
http://www.politechbot.com/p-03135.html  --Declan]

---

Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 10:10:45 -0400
From: Bob <bob () globaldevelopment org>
To: declan () well com
Subject: ID Chip's Controversial Approval
References: <5.1.1.6.0.20021021222645.02d76750 () mail well com>
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I find this very disturbing.  Another example of how difficult it is to 
deal with the exponential effects of technology on our linear political 
sensibilities.

Bob Adams
<http://www.globaldevelopment.org>http://www.globaldevelopment.org


The full story can be found at 
<http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,55952,00.html>http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,55952,00.html 


Wired magazine
02:00 AM Oct. 23, 2002 PDT

A surprise decision by the Food and Drug Administration permits the use of 
implantable ID chips in humans, despite an FDA investigator's recent public 
reservations about the devices.

The FDA sent chip manufacturer Applied Digital Solutions a letter stating 
that the agency would not regulate the VeriChip if it
was used for "security, financial and personal identification or safety 
applications," ADS said Tuesday.

But the FDA has not determined whether the controversial chip can be used 
for medical purposes, including linking to medical
databases, the company added... 




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