The $4,000 GPS Chip That’s Used To Combat Kidnapping In Mexico

Usually you’d use GPS to get turn-by-turn driving directions or look for coffee shops or some such. In Mexico, they’re using it to track kidnapped people. Sorta Apple and oranges there.

Apparently there’s been a number of kidnappings in certain parts of Mexico of late, and it’s gotten to the point that people with money are turning to technology to protect themselves. Verichip is a rice-sized chip that has a built-in GPS transmitter. You literally implant the device into your skin so that it’s on your person at all times. A stand-alone tracker device is kept at home, which then tracks your location 24/7.
When we say “people with money” we’re not kidding. The chip itself costs $4,000, and then there’s a yearly $2,200 fee to keep the tracking service up ad running.
Are you worth $4,000+$2,200?
Satellites track Mexico kidnap victims with chips [Reuters]