Use of Implanted Patient-Data Chips Stirs Debate on Medicine vs. Privacy

The maker of the VeriChip implant, about the size of a grain of rice, is targeting hospitals in the D.C. area. (Verichip Corp. - Verichip Corp.)

"I thought this would be important to offer to many of my patients," said Jonathan Musher, a Chevy Chase physician the company hired to help recruit hospitals and assemble a nationwide network of doctors offering the chips. "With this, a quick scan back and forth across their arm could make all the difference in critical life-and-death situations where seconds count."

Privacy advocates, however, worry that the devices are prone to invasion because they can be surreptitiously scanned from a distance.

"As far as I can tell, there are no security measures taken with the chip. It's not a secure chip," said Richard M. Smith, an Internet and privacy consultant in Boston. "There's nothing to stop someone from accessing the code and cloning the chip" to access records, he said.

Even though the medical information is stored in a protected computer, anyone with a password could obtain the information.

"Once the identification number is obtained, who gets to decide who gets access to the Web site?" asked Janlori Goldman of the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, who heads the Health Privacy Project, a Washington-based research and advocacy group. "Can law enforcement have access? Can public health workers have access? Can employers have access? Given the recent efforts by law enforcement and data monitoring by the government, this is exactly the kind of technology that would be attractive."

And, like any computerized database, it could be vulnerable to hackers.

"We know from many other examples that there are lots of security breaches that occur across the country," said Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, another Washington research and advocacy group. "There's no reason to think this will be any different."

Company officials and other proponents say the device and accompanying system are carefully designed to protect recipients.

"The privacy of VeriChip's customers is our highest priority," said Scott Silverman, the chief executive of Applied Digital Solutions Inc., the firm's parent company. "Both the amount of information and who has authorized access to that information is determined by the user."

Others worry about how the devices will be used in the future.

"This device is intended to uniquely number humans. It's embedded in the flesh, and it's permanent. It can be read without someone's knowledge and consent," McIntyre said. "Scanners can be installed in doorways or ceiling tiles to track people's comings and goings without people even being aware it's happening. That's not so far off."

Company officials scoff at those fears.

"Some people say, 'Oh, my God. It's "1984." It's George Orwell,' " Musher said. "But this is a passive device. It's not controlling or tracking anyone."

The company is, however, marketing the devices to limit entry to secure facilities. The Mexican government is using the implants like key cards for high-security offices. And CityWatcher.com of Cincinnati, which stores surveillance-camera footage from around the country, recently started using the chips to control access to tapes. Bars in Spain and Amsterdam, meanwhile, are offering the chips to patrons who want quick entry and to run electronic tabs.

"We're just waiting for the first case where a convicted sex offender on condition of release is required to have a VeriChip implanted," Rotenberg said.

For their part, Fischer and Hickey hope the devices catch on.

"This is the wave of the future," Fischer said. "I'm looking at this from the positive side. To obtain optimal care, I think we have to take advantage of the best technology available."