Microchips

"Its going to itch for a few days, but eventualy you'll forget it's even there! That is, until you become an adult.

— A mother to her child

Innitialy marketed as a revolutionary technology for health care, financial security, and general quality of life, subdermal microchips have since become as ubiquitous as cell phones or gas cars once were. However, many still refuse the benefits they provide, for rumours of miss-use by mega-corporations and governments are abundant.

Utilité

Modern Microchips can be used in a wide variety of ways, all with the stated goal of making day-to-day life easier for the wearer. They fuction as a house or car key, a bank card, a phone, and a health monitor. They also allow access to the web and public transportation, functioning as digital keys. However, it is no secret amongst the population that the real use of the technology is to allow the Mega-corporations to monitor their employees and/or clients. However, most choose to ignore those blatant privacy violations, exchanging them for a more convinient life. Some governments threatening jail time for people that do not wear one also helps in their "popularity".

Acess and Availability

In most countries, including the Yukon Republic, getting microchiped is mandated by law, with prison time likely for the people refusing or unable to get their implanted. Since in most countries, microchips cost a lot of money, many of the poorest residents do not have it, meaning they are severely limited in day to day life. If they are caught unchipped, they may be sent to jail, where they will be given a temporary chip, or have a permanant one installed, depending on the jurisdiction.

Complexity

Subdermal microchips come in a variety of ways. the most common, and the most well know is also the least controverstial. Nicknamed "Rice grain", these microchips are no bigger than their namesake, and fit on the hand of the wearer. These can monitor health and also act as a digital key to various other tech, like car to trains and social media.
The more controversial type of Microchips are larger and more powerfull. Nicknamed "Crackers", for their larger, square or rectangle form, these are mainy used on prisonners and/or Deviants, both groups considered dangerous to the general population. These microchips are far more intrusive to the individual, as they can read hormonal/mood changes, drug use, and theres even rumours that newer models can read thoughts, although officials deny this.

Social Impact

Microchips have become extremely common amongst the general population during the later half of the 21st century. Many of the richest countries's population in the world are nearly 100% chipped. At the same time, being unchipped has become a symbol of rebellion against the order of things, but also a symbol of degeneracy and poor living standards. In richer countries, unchipped people are systematicaly discriminated against, both by goverments and corporations.

"This door doesn't even have a handle! How am i supposed to take a piss now?"

"Just tap with your hand sir-"

"I'm... not chipped..."

"Well i suppose you won't be using our bathrooms then"

— A customer in a restaurant

Technologies Parentes

• The Web

History

The first implanted microchip in a human dates back to the late 1990s, nearly a century ago. However, the mass adoption of the technology took many decades to be fully realised. By the 2020s, some countries had autorised microchips implants in some individuals under specific rules, and by the 2040s, most countries on earth had at least a low percentage of their population chiped.

Even at this time, most of the commercially available chips remained small, and with limited uses. Stiil, they remained popular with some people, as they saw the tech as better than the old alternatives it was replacing. Still, many in the general population opposed them, fearing the dangers that they represented, real or otherwise. Mandates from some governements and corporations began to enforce laws that obligated their workers to be chipped. 

Following WW3 and the Great Collapse, many of the remaining world governements and most of those who were established afterwards began to mass adopt the tech. Mandates from some governements and corporations began to enforce laws that obligated their workers to be chipped in order to get work, or even to get access to some solcial programs like healthcare or UBI.

This was ostensibly done mainly as a way to streamline the massive recovery effort nessessary after the war. However, with the power of the corporations rising, it didn't take long for them to abuse the system. Many of them crafted their own microchips, which were more powerful and able to track much more than just a person's heath and bank account.

It is estimated that by the 2060s, 50% of the world's population already had some kind of implanted microchips, mostly in the hand or neck, a jump of 40% from a decade prior, and that by the 2080s, that number had rose to 80%. Currently, it is estimated that around 90% of humans on earth are microchipped, and with all residents of Luna and Mars also being microchipped.