ICT implants a potential threat to human dignity, says ethics group Non-medical applications of information and communication technologies (ICT) implants in the human body present a potential threat to human dignity and democratic society, according to a new opinion from the European Group on Ethics (EGE). At first glance, ICT implants may ap... Non-medical applications of information and communication technologies (ICT) implants in the human body present a potential threat to human dignity and democratic society, according to a new opinion from the European Group on Ethics (EGE). At first glance, ICT implants may appear ethically trouble-free, especially when you consider the most widespread applications such as pacemakers. However, in the future more and more implants are expected to be accessible via digital networks, which raises the question of misuse, for example through social surveillance or manipulation. Thus people should not only be informed of the health benefits and risks of ICT implants, say the EGE, but also the potential for their misuse. Furthermore, on the basis of devices such as brain implants developed to alleviate tremors in Parkinson's sufferers, the EGE argues that implants have the potential to influence the nervous system, particularly the brain, and thus impact on human identity as a species as well as individual subjectivity and autonomy 'Nevertheless, the ethical notion of the inviolability of the human body should not be understood as a barrier against the advancement of science and technology, but as a barrier against its possible misuse,' continues the opinion. Another ethical dimension to ICT implants is identified by the EGE. It argues that they could be used to enhance physical and mental capabilities, and that efforts must therefore be made to ensure that ICT implants are not used to create a two class society. 'Access to ICT implants for enhancement should only be for the purpose of bringing children or adults into the 'normal' range for the population [and] access to ICT implants for enhancement purposes should be based on need rather than on economic resources or social position,' the EGE states. Finally, the group calls for regulation in this area. Currently such implants are not explicitly covered by legislation, particularly in terms of privacy and data protection. 'The EGE recommends that the European Commission should launch legislative initiatives in these areas of ICT implant applications,' the opinion concludes.
