Forcing employees to have microchips under the skin.

[Diopolis]

...What do you think, NS?

I wonder, was it actually necessary? I mean, forcing people to alter their bodies as a requirement for a job looks, dunno, grossly illegal to me.

It actually isn't. You're allowed to mandate your employees take vaccines and iirc even that they go on birth control, both of which are technically bodily modifcations.
This is a specific exemption banning microchips, and I'm all for a ban on mandatory microchipping.

[Stellar Colonies]

Even if it's difficult to function these days without them, people can always put down phones and walk away.

Can't exactly do that with an implant as easily.

Not sure how comparable how a hypothetical requirement for one would be with other bodily autonomy issues like infant genital cutting and abortion since it would be part of an employment requirement (very arguably one which steps over the line however) and those two are more wide-ranging, but at least this sort of ban thrusts it into public discussion before it becomes more relevant. Also as alluded, it serves an avenue to preempt political debates in twenty years advocating for universal implants in the name of things like public health and security, which would make them more comparable to the aforementioned bodily autonomy issues.

[Chessmistress]

Not sure why the Republican quip, given that California already passed pretty much the exact same law.

Republicans are passing many election laws in search of problems these days. Same on the vaccine and freedom front.

-edit-

Oh and for California that was back in 2008 and was in response to Verachip which was going to allow access to healthcare records. The security was easily breached

https://www.aclunc.org/blog/california- ... y-governor

Looks like you didn't read OP: there are 11 states that banned the practice annd they're both Republicans and Democrats.
There's even a color guide: names in red are Republican states, names in blue are Democrats states.

[Ifreann]

I think that focussing specifically on implanted monitoring technology is a mistake. Wearable devices can turn a workplace into something like a panopticon just as much as implanted devices.

[CoraSpia]

Good decision imho. Next, get rid of companies creating their own vaccine mandates for employees, deciding they have a role in employees family planning decisions and create a right to turn your phone off when the working day is done.

[The Black Forrest]

Republicans are passing many election laws in search of problems these days. Same on the vaccine and freedom front.

-edit-

Oh and for California that was back in 2008 and was in response to Verachip which was going to allow access to healthcare records. The security was easily breached

https://www.aclunc.org/blog/california- ... y-governor

Looks like you didn't read OP: there are 11 states that banned the practice annd they're both Republicans and Democrats.
There's even a color guide: names in red are Republican states, names in blue are Democrats states.

*shrugs* Oh I noticed that. Just ignored it and gave an opinion on what’s driving this change. Again; laws in search of problems and the fact the company would mandate it and wonder why people don’t want to join.

[The Black Forrest]

Good decision imho. Next, get rid of companies creating their own vaccine mandates for employees, deciding they have a role in employees family planning decisions and create a right to turn your phone off when the working day is done.

Nope. Mandates during a pandemic is a good thing.

Family planning? That’s kind of protected now. Enforced that’s another question.

The phone thing? You are told about that in the job description. If you accepted the offer; you accepted the requirement.

Now let’s not tangent the thread.

[Barfleur]

Good decision imho. Next, get rid of companies creating their own vaccine mandates for employees, deciding they have a role in employees family planning decisions and create a right to turn your phone off when the working day is done.

Fully agree with the second and third. As to the first... I'd rather not have a workplace where people spend a full day in close proximity as a respiratory disease rages. And a company-by-company framework would allow you, if you choose, to only work with unvaccinated people or those whose vaccination status you don't know, while allowing me to make my own health decisions as regards my own job.

[Chessmistress]

I think that focussing specifically on implanted monitoring technology is a mistake. Wearable devices can turn a workplace into something like a panopticon just as much as implanted devices.

Wearable devices can be take off before and after the workhours, during the pauses, and even during the job given you have a good reason.

[Chessmistress]

Good decision imho. Next, get rid of companies creating their own vaccine mandates for employees, deciding they have a role in employees family planning decisions and create a right to turn your phone off when the working day is done.

Nope. Mandates during a pandemic is a good thing.

Family planning? That’s kind of protected now. Enforced that’s another question.

The phone thing? You are told about that in the job description. If you accepted the offer; you accepted the requirement.

90% times the phone thing isn't in the job description.

[Rusozak]

I think that focussing specifically on implanted monitoring technology is a mistake. Wearable devices can turn a workplace into something like a panopticon just as much as implanted devices.

And unlike implanted chips, wearable devices being used for surveillance are already a problem and quite widespread. I don't think the ban was made in good faith. Probably some attempt to fight vaccine mandates using the "microchip injection" myth as a basis.

[The Black Forrest]

Nope. Mandates during a pandemic is a good thing.

Family planning? That’s kind of protected now. Enforced that’s another question.

The phone thing? You are told about that in the job description. If you accepted the offer; you accepted the requirement.

90% times the phone thing isn't in the job description.

I was speaking to all jobs. There are people who accept a job which states it and think it’s not fair.

I have worked jobs where it wasn’t mentioned and later said we are all going to do this now.

It’s a tech thing…..

[Alvecia]

Interesting that they've seemingly done this pre-emptively. Typically law lags somewhat behind technology, no?
I wonder what prompted the interest.

[CoraSpia]

90% times the phone thing isn't in the job description.

I was speaking to all jobs. There are people who accept a job which states it and think it’s not fair.

I have worked jobs where it wasn’t mentioned and later said we are all going to do this now.

It’s a tech thing…..

It's not even just a tech thing. Lawyers and teachers get it too.

[Esternial]

I'm assuming GDPR makes the threat of a "microchip mandate" a non-issue in Europe.

[Ifreann]

I think that focussing specifically on implanted monitoring technology is a mistake. Wearable devices can turn a workplace into something like a panopticon just as much as implanted devices.

Wearable devices can be take off before and after the workhours, during the pauses, and even during the job given you have a good reason.

And that distinction might make them seem a preferable alternative to implanted devices, but we should really be asking why your employer needs, wants, or is even allowed to keep such close track of exactly where your hands are at every moment. Having a job shouldn't entail 40+ hours of constant surveillance.

[Saiwania]

The technology isn't bulletproof or all that good. For many people, their body will reject the implant or cause immune system problems for them because antibodies are constantly attacking the piece of metal or silicon. It knows it's not an organic match to the individual like stem cells cultured from them is.

In any case, Chinese Communist Party would probably love this if the logistics and side effect problems were ever figured out. It takes away choice and can enable more state intrusion earlier as to prevent any rebellion if it has tracking functions.

[Countesia]

"EMPLOYEE 683937, YOUR COMPANY ISSUED MICROCHIP HAS ALERTED US TO A 0.13% DECREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY. ELECTRICAL SHOCKS WILL BE ADMINISTERED EVERY 30 SECONDS UNTIL PRODUCTIVITY INCREASES. 500 DOLLARS HAS BEEN DOCKED FROM YOUR UPCOMING PAYCHECK."

[Ifreann]

The technology isn't bulletproof or all that good. For many people, their body will reject the implant or cause immune system problems for them because antibodies are constantly attacking the piece of metal or silicon. It knows it's not an organic match to the individual like stem cells cultured from them is.

No, we've been able to have metal in people's bodies for, like, millennia.

[Saiwania]

No, we've been able to have metal in people's bodies for, like, millennia.

Like I said, it may be in there after surgery- but if the body ever notices that it doesn't belong there, that it'll just be covered up in macrophages and scar tissue will form at the site. The human body doesn't cooperate with a great many alterations. The best materials to use biologically match the individual somehow, like if it's 3D printed with their DNA. It's why organs aren't just interchangeable between people. It's not as simple as treating the body and it's many complex systems like a Lego set.

[Northern Socialist Council Republics]

Oh, so the American government is still capable of actually legislating ahead of technology from time to time... wait no that’s not the national government, those are state governments. Ah well the statement holds.

---

Smartphones went from an occasional luxury to a common appliance to a foundational requirement to fully participate in the cultural, economic, and intellectual life of high-income democracies in a span of maybe 30 years, if even that.

People may have a “choice” not to be microchipped, but consider how much of a “choice” people have to not have a phone these days - these days people who don’t have a phone are essentially marginalised from society. Any one of the emerging technologies of today can easily become de-facto mandatory like that in a few decades, and if we find that problematic for any ideological reasons then we should probably start thinking ahead, right now, about how to stop that from happening.

I’m supportive of this measure.

[Saiwania]

Smartphones went from an occasional luxury to a common appliance to a foundational requirement to fully participate in the cultural, economic, and intellectual life of high-income democracies in a span of maybe 30 years, if even that.

You don't need a smartphone in a lot of cases. The main issue is just that people expect everyone else to have internet connectivity of some sort, to be able to communicate with them if they're not in a super rural locale where it's a bandwidth desert or non-existent. Many people find laptops or desktops to be better for their purposes.

The smartphone thing is driven by most people simply not being able to afford their own real estate that is beyond renting a crappy condo/apartment or one small bedroom at best. Those people by necessity, have to utilize more portable solutions; even if less powerful than more stationary equivalents like a good gaming desktop.

[The Black Forrest]

Smartphones went from an occasional luxury to a common appliance to a foundational requirement to fully participate in the cultural, economic, and intellectual life of high-income democracies in a span of maybe 30 years, if even that.

You don't need a smartphone in a lot of cases. The main issue is just that people expect everyone else to have internet connectivity of some sort, to be able to communicate with them if they're not in a super rural locale where it's a bandwidth desert or non-existent. Many people find laptops or desktops to be better for their purposes.

The smartphone thing is driven by most people simply not being able to afford their own real estate that is beyond renting a crappy condo/apartment or one small bedroom at best. Those people by necessity, have to utilize more portable solutions; even if less powerful than more stationary equivalents like a good gaming desktop.

Smartphones are preventing homeownership? That’s a new one.

[Northern Socialist Council Republics]

Smartphones are preventing homeownership? That’s a new one.

I think the argument being made is the other way around - that a lack of homeownership promotes smartphone usage.

Which is... well, let us just say that it is a unique and interesting perspective.

[Herador]

On the one hand, this seems like a massive breach of the work-life balance.

On the other hand, though, I do forget the employee ID that I need to clock in a lot.