Israel’s Prime Minister Condemned Over Microchip for Children

By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing mounting criticism over his proposal to “microchip” children who return to schools and kindergartens as the national coronavirus lockdown ends.

In video footage seen by Worthy News, Netanyahu suggested last week that the Health Ministry uses new technology to help Israel adjust to its new routine of social distancing to contain the virus. “I spoke with our heads of technology to find measures Israel is good at, such as sensors. For instance, every person, every kid –I want it on kids first – would have a sensor that would sound an alarm when you get too close, like the ones on cars,” the prime minister explained.

But cyber experts condemned the proposal telling Israeli media that it wouldn’t work for humans and would not any pass any practical or legal test. “Theoretically, I get the idea behind it,” cyber resilience expert Einat Meron said. “But although such distance-sensitive microchips exist in vehicles, it is different in humans.” She added: “A beeping sound telling me I got close to someone is not enough. Who says it will change anything? I would have gotten closer either way.” Meron also believes the technology could even be misused by pedophiles to go after children.

In published remarks, the Prime Minister’s Office stressed that Netanyahu’s suggestion was “not to be implemented through databases, but through simple technology notifying [the citizens] about their distance.” The Office claimed that it was “a voluntary option that is designed to help children keep their distance, like Mobileye with vehicles.”

However, it comes amid broader concerns about the Israeli government’s approved emergency measures after its security agencies began tracking the mobile-phone data of people with suspected coronavirus. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel called the move “a dangerous precedent and a slippery slope.”

The developments in Israel have added to an international debate about the role of chips and related technologies in people’s lives. Companies in Sweden and Belgium, for instance, offer employees chip implants to replace communication devices used for credit cards or keys. But while chips in pets have been more widely accepted, chips in humans have raised privacy concerns among rights activists and cyber experts.

Latest Worthy News