I remember a time, many, many years ago when there was a suggestion that everyone have their fingerprints taken and put on a central database, there was outrage, with arguments about our ‘civil rights’ , ‘against our freedom’ and ‘nanny state’ and of course, as a result this idea was quashed!

Except now, children in school pay for their food with their thumb print, we open up our phones and tablets with thumb prints and facial recognition, we input personal health information info our phones ‘for the emergency services’, google follows our every move, Siri and Alexa listens to us, we get personalised ads served up to us on our media based on our discussions. Our phones, tablets and apps are constantly pulling information, who our friends are, what we like, what our political views are, what we shop, where we buy, where we work etc

We have freely given this information in the name of making our lives easier, in the name of convenience and now, we are being drip- fed the idea of having a ‘chip’ inserted for health benefits, fun and convenience

Where will this new age end?