Olympic Ceremony Tickets will Contain a MicroChip

The Chinese are taking security measures for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics very seriously. Tickets for these two events will contain a microchip, filled with information about the purchaser.


On that chip will be stored all of the details of the person who bought it. Information will include a photograph, passport details, physical and email addresses, and phone numbers. This way, when a person is entering the stadium, it can be easily verified that they are indeed the rightful ticket holder. The reason for the use of the microchip is down to the Chinese government being worried about terrorism and protests over issues facing the region such as Tibet. They hope to keep the important ceremonies free from conflict or interruption by taking these extra measures.


While this is an excellent idea in theory, I see a disaster coming. Many people do not buy tickets until they are already there. I can guarantee you that scalpers won’t bother to explain to these poor souls about the microchip. This is going to cause some people to lose serious amounts of money, as these tickets are expected to sell for well over $500 USD each. Also, it will create longer lines to get in, and entrance delays for legitimate ticket holders.


There is definitely a need for high security measures, but is this the answer?