A Swedish Office Is Implanting Radio-Frequency Identification Chips Into Employees' Hands

An office complex in Sweden is implanting radio-frequency identification chips into workers' hands in an effort to make entry and access easier.

Felicio de Costa, who works in the complex, told BBC News: "We already interact with technology all the time. Today it's a bit messy – we need pin codes and passwords. Wouldn't it be easy to just touch with your hand? That's really intuitive."

Radio-frequency identification chips allow employees in Sweden access to their office building. (Image source: BBC News)

The technology implants are about the size of a grain of rice and can open doors and access the photocopier with a wave of the hand. The building plans to explore using the chips for other things, such as paying for food in the cafe.

Employees are not required to have the technology implanted — they can choose to stick with regular badges if they prefer.

Developer Hannes Sjoblad suggested the implants are a step ahead of other companies and even governments.

"We want to be able to understand this technology before big corporates and big government come to us and say everyone should get chipped - the tax authority chip, the Google or Facebook chip," Sjoblad said.

BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones got a first-hand look at how the technology works. Take a look:

(H/T: BBC)

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