A proposal by a World Olympians Association official that athletes be chipped and tracked like dogs to prevent “drug cheats” has crossed the line.
According to The Guardian newspaper, World Olympians Association CEO Mike Miller made the controversial human chipping proposal at a recent anti-doping forum in London, suggesting that elite athletes would have to accept implants or drop out of Olympic-level competition:
“In order to stop doping we need to chip our athletes…. Some people say it’s an invasion of privacy, well, sport is a club and people don’t have to join the club if they don’t want to, if they can’t follow the rules,” Miller was quoted as saying.
“We need legislation that guarantees citizens the right to reject tracking implants without fear of losing the right to work or enjoy other pursuits.” ~ Liz McIntyre, CAMCAT.org
While Miller did not spell out what microchip technology he wants to implant in Olympic hopefuls, there are implantable RFID microchips with biosensors that can detect a human or other animal’s health status, diseases and substances in the blood. A chip/biosensor combo could theoretically monitor an athlete’s blood 24/7 and report aberrations when queried by a nearby reader device — perhaps a phone with a built-in reader, for example.
When someone in Miller’s position has the audacity to suggest that RFID dog tracking chips are an acceptable prerequisite for participation in any endeavor, it’s time for action. No human being should ever be forced to accept a tracking implant to fully participate in society.
This microchip implant is bigger than any grain of rice I’ve encountered!
We need legislation that guarantees citizens the right to reject invasive tracking technology without fear of losing the right to work or enjoy other pursuits. CEO Miller’s outrageous recommendation made me realize that we are running out of time. That’s why I formed CAMCAT — Citizens Against Marking, Chipping and Tracking. Lawmakers need to act now to protect their constituents. CAMCAT will work to make that happen.
Please follow me on Twitter to keep up with CAMCAT human tracking developments: @LizMcIntyre
While I fully believe people should have the right to alter their bodies, including embedding themselves with tracking devices, they need to be the ones making the informed decisions and controlling what will be tracked and monitored.
Some might point to the recent Three Square Market PR extravaganza chipping party in Wisconsin as an example of voluntary human chipping, but is it really? When your boss is excited about a new technology and what it might do to raise the stature and price of his business, do you dare go against the grain? Everyone knows the unwritten expectations. Want to land that next promotion, get the prize account or just keep the job? Better say “yes”.
(BTW Wisconsin already has a law prohibiting forced microchipping, and I expect we will see some lawsuits from Three Square employees down the road — ones who were chipped and ones who weren’t chipped.)
I see the Three Square scenario as akin to when the boss asks for “volunteers” to work late on a critical project or cheer on the corporation’s prize baseball team on a Saturday afternoon — only with longer-term consequences.
Please encourage your state representatives to enact legislation that will prevent your government, professional association, caretaker or employer from chipping you — either by force, threat or unspoken “volunteer” understanding.
Learn more at www.CAMCAT.org!