Almost half of Russians say they fear forced ‘chip implantation’

Roughly half of all Russians (45 percent) who have heard of the technology of implanting computer chips in people say they fear being “implanted” without their knowledge, according to a new survey by the state-run pollster VTsIOM. At the same time, however, just 41 percent of respondents said they believe secret chip implantation is even possible.

The majority of Russians (77 percent) say they have a negative view of putting computer chips in human beings, though the idea is slightly less odious to Russians younger than 24 (this demographic was only 64-percent opposed to “chipization”). Respondents said they worry about privacy invasions (35 percent), adverse health effects (16 percent), and the possible remote control of individuals through the chips (11 percent).

Just 8 percent of Russians say they like the idea of computer hardware under their skin and welcome the opportunity to leave home without their documents and various payment cards. This minority of respondents also says chip implants would make it possible to locate missing persons.

The concept of computer-chip implants has generated significant controversy in Russia recently. One popular theory contends that U.S. tech mogul Bill Gates wants to implant chips in 1 billion people in order to control the planet’s human population.