The U.S. government is developing implantable sensor microchips
for use in American troops, supposedly to monitor their health
on the battlefield, the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA) announced earlier this year seeking proposals.
But critics of the scheme are speaking out, warning that the new
technology could just be a prelude to expanding the use of
related devices among the general population — with dangerous
implications for freedom and privacy. According to news reports
about the development, DARPA believes that being able to
instantly receive updates about any potential medical problems
among soldiers would give the U.S. armed forces an advantage
over adversaries. Calling the implants "a truly disruptive
innovation," the agency said the nanotechnology could
revolutionize war — especially because most medical evacuations
are a result of illness or disease rather than injuries
sustained in battle. But despite supposedly not being used for
tracking purposes, at least initially, privacy ex