Ethical evaluation of human RFID Microchip Implantation through an NBIC Context Assessment Guide

This paper offers an ethical analysis of the permissibility of implanting radiofrequency identification microchips (RFID) in the human body for various purposes. To address this aim, three hypothetical case studies involving RFID based implantable technologies were constructed to examine and compare the distinct ethical challenges arising from the specific circumstances of each scenario. The methodological approach consisted of evaluating each case using a practical assessment guide for interventions on the human body developed in the context of NBIC technologies. This guide is grounded in the personalist bioethics articulated by Elio Sgreccia and rooted in a Thomistic conception of the human person. It is structured around four guiding principles: the defense of physical human life, totality, freedom and responsibility, and sociability and subsidiarity. Together, these principles provide a coherent framework for discerning the moral permissibility of bodily interventions involving emerging technologies. The application of this guide across the three hypothetical scenarios enables a broader ethical reflection on the implantation of RFID microchips in the human body. By examining how the same technology may function in different contexts and for different purposes, the analysis helps clarify the conditions under which such interventions may be considered morally justified, as well as the limits that should guide their responsible use.