Mark of the Beast? Thousands of Swedes are getting microchip IDs inserted into their HANDS!

More than 4,000 Swedes have been implanted with a microchip that contains details about their identity.

The miniature technology bypasses the need for cash, tickets, access cards and even social media.

BioHax International is the market leader in the innovate industry and has captured public imagination since it was started five years ago by Jowan Osterlund, a former professional body piercer.

Some people argue the conveniences gained from the procedure by so-called ‘body-hackers’ do not outweigh the risks to their private data.

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RFID implants (pictured) use Near Field Communication technology which is the same as in contactless credit cards or mobile payments. It is roughly the the same size as a grain of rice and the procedure costs about $180 (£140)

In June 2017, SJ Rail, the Swedish train operator, announced that around 100 people were using microchips to pay for their journey.

Commuters with a microchip in their hand are able to have their ticket loaded directly onto the device.

The train conductor can then read the chip with a smartphone to confirm the passenger has paid for their journey.

This was one of the most widespread and mainstream uses of the technology and has seen it be adopted by a plethora of forward-thinking companies.

Microchipping has even been adopted by professional social media platform LinkedI.

While the scheme is currently only available in Sweden, the country’s travel system uses the same Near Field Communication (NFC) as contactless bank cards, and London’s oyster cards, suggesting it could be used further afield one day.

The electronic tags are around the size of a grain of rice and are implanted via a syringe into the back of the hand – often above the thumb.