PositiveID's Implantable Microchip

Microchip Implants Spur 'Mark of the Beast' Bans in Two States

February 11, 2010

BNET - The company formerly known as VeriChip seems to be the inspiration for bills in Georgia and Virginia that would ban the mandatory implant of microchips in humans by employers or insurance companies. And the company’s name is becoming increasingly associated with the “mark of the beast” mentioned in the Book of Revelation.

Backstory: PositiveID (PSID) makes implantable microchips, one of which — Health Link — contains a scannable code that can link to your online medical records. Christians, conservatives and privacy advocates believe the company, perhaps in conjunction with the government, will somehow find a way to require that all Americans carry an implanted chip. Some believe that such a chip would be the “mark of the beast” as prophesied in Revelation 13:16-18.

That’s what one Virginia state delegate believes. The Washington Post:

Mark L. Cole (R-Fredericksburg), the bill’s sponsor, said that privacy issues are the chief concern behind his attempt to criminalize the involuntary implantation of microchips. But he also said he shared concerns that the devices could someday be used as the “mark of the beast” described in the Book of Revelation.

Whether you believe any of this or not — the conspiracy theorists seem to forget that almost nobody actually wants their medical records linked to an implanted chip — the problem for PositiveID is that it is doing nothing to counter what is, presumably, a huge amount of misinformation circulating on the web about the company.

BNET recently offered the CEO of PositiveID, Scott R. Silverman, an interview in which to rebut some of this stuff, but the company declined. You can’t help those who won’t help themselves, I guess.

In the meantime, here’s the quote of the day:

“We’ve got a $4 billion hole, and we’re spending time on microchips,” said Del. Albert C. Pollard Jr. (D-Northumberland). “At least when Nero fiddled, they got good music.”

For the record: I’m not aware of any occasion on which PositiveID has ever advocated a mandatory chip program.

PositiveID Seeks Diabetics for Chip Implant Study

January 5, 2010

industry.bnet.com - PositiveID (PSID) is to begin a study of its Health Link implantable microchip in diabetic, hypertensive and obese patients.

The study – like everything else associated with the company formerly known as VeriChip — is bound to be controversial. The Health Link chip is implanted under a patient’s skin. It can be scanned to access the patient’s online medical records. The company’s critics fear the chip will one day become mandatory, leading to a complete loss of medical privacy, or that Americans will be unable to receive healthcare unless they get chipped.

BNET has noted that PositiveID also owns a credit monitoring and identity-theft prevention company, Steel Vault, and that it envisions its chips being linked to Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT) and employers. PositiveID linked credit monitoring and the Health Link chip in its most recent 10-Q.

While PositiveID’s press release gives few specifics, it indicates that the study will have something to do with the Health Link chip and customers of HealthScreenDirect, a company that offers screening for diabetes and high cholesterol...