Swedish company DSruptive Subdermals, specializing in implantable microelectronics, has developed a Covid-19 vaccination certification in the form of a subdermal electronic chip.
Mr. Hannes Sjoblad, CEO of DSruptive Subdermals and a strong advocate for privacy, stated that he has an electronic chip implanted under his arm, which he has programmed to store his vaccination information. He aims for this information to be easily accessible by simply scanning a smartphone over the chip to unlock it.
Mr. Hannes Sjoblad, CEO of DSruptive Subdermals, introduces an electronic chip in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 20, 2021. (Photo: AFP).
According to Mr. Sjoblad, the implantable device costs up to 100 euros (approximately $113.4) for the premium version. These chips are less than half the price of wearable health tracking devices but can last up to 20, 30, or even 40 years, while health tracking products typically last only 3 to 4 years.
The operator of DSruptive Subdermals believes that this method of information storage is one of the company’s experiments and will become a widely adopted product by early 2022.
While acknowledging that many people view implanting an electronic chip as a “scary” form of personal surveillance, Mr. Sjoblad suggests that it should instead be seen as a simple identification (ID) card. The device has no battery and cannot transmit data on its own, meaning it does not track the user’s location but is activated only when tapped with a smartphone. He noted that the implantation is entirely voluntary for individuals.
Although this method has not yet become mainstream, thousands of people in Sweden have chosen to implant electronic devices under their skin in recent years. This method has eliminated the need to remember information such as smart keys, business cards, public transport cards, and most recently, vaccination cards.
It is expected that thousands of people in Sweden will support and initially adopt this new form of Covid-19 certification.
