Der vernetzte Mensch.
Ethische Aspekte von ICT- Implantaten im menschlichen Körper
Rafael Capurro
Hochschule der Medien (Stuttgart)
www.capurro.de
European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) de
la Comisión Europea: EGE Opinion, March 16, 2005:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/european_group_ethics/index_en.htm
Übersicht
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The European Group on Ethics in
Science and New Technologies (EGE)
ICT-Implantate
Ethische Aspekte
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The European Group on Ethics
(EGE)
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The EGE is an independent, pluralist
and multitisciplinary body which advises
the European Commission on ethical
aspects of science and new
technologies in connection with the
preparation and implementation of
Community legislation or policies.
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EGE Members (2001-2005)
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Prof. Göran HERMERÉN (Sweden), President, Philosopher, Professor of Medical Ethics, Faculty of
Medicine, Lund University.
Prof. Linda NIELSEN (Denmark), Vice-President, Professor of Law, Rector of the University of
Copenhagen.
Prof. Nicos C. ALIVIZATOS (Greece), Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Athens.
Prof. Rafael CAPURRO (Germany), Professor of Information Management and Information Ethics at
University of Applied Sciences.
Prof. Inez DE BEAUFORT (The Netherlands), Professor of Health Care Ethics at the Medical Faculty of the
Erasmus University, Rotterdam.
Prof. Yvon ENGLERT (Belgium), Head of Fertility Clinic, Free University of Brussels (ULB), Professor of
Medical Ethics and Deontology, ULB.
Prof. Catherine LABRUSSE-RIOU (France), Centre de recherche en droit privé, Université de Paris.
Dr. Anne McLAREN (United Kingdom), Geneticist, Research Associate at Wellcome CRC Institute,
Cambridge.
Prof. Pere PUIGDOMÈNECH ROSELL (Spain), Research Professor at the Department for Molecular Genetics,
Director of Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, CSIC
Prof. Stefano RODOTA (Italy), Professor of Civil Law, University of Rome, Chairman of the Italian Data
Protection Authority, Chairman of the European Group of the Data Protection Authorities.
Prof. Günter VIRT (Austria), Professor of Theology, Institute of Catholic Moral Theology, University of
Vienna.
Prof. Peter WHITTAKER (Ireland), Biologist, Professor of Biology, Institute of Environment, Philosophy and
Public Policy, University of Lancaster, Furness College.
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EGE Secretariat
Dr. Michael D. Rogers, European Commission,
BERL 10/345, rue de la Loi 200, B-1049
Brussels, Belgium.
EGE-Website:
europa.eu.int/comm/european_group_ethics
EGE-Newsletter "Ethically Speaking": providing
also information on the activities of the
National Ethics Committees.
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Opinions 2001-2005
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Opinion n. 16 (2002)
Ethical aspects of patenting inventions involving
human stem cells
Opinion n. 17 (2003)
Ethical aspects of clinical research in developing
countries
Opinion n. 18 (2003)
Ethical aspects of genetic testing in the workplace
Opinion n. 19 (2004)
Ethical aspects of cord blood stem cells banks
Opinion n. 20 (2005)
Ethical Aspects of ICT implants in the human body
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ICT-Implantate
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Implantable devices can be categorised as:
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Both as:
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medical
non-medical
passive
active
Reversible or non reversible
Stand-alone or online
ICT implants and tags
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Implantate für medizinische
Zwecke
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Most passive implants are structural
devices such as
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artificial joints
vascular implants
artificial valves
Active medical implantable devices
Directive 90/385/EEC
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Aktive medizinische ICTImplantate
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Cardiovascular pacers for patients with conduction disorders or heart failure
Cochlear and brainstem implants for patients with hearing disorders
Deep brain stimulation
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for tremor control in patients with Parkinson's disease
for essential tremor
for obsessive-compulsive disorders
Implantable Neurostimulation Devices
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Spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain management
Sacral nerve stimulation for control of urinary incontinence
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for seizure control in epilepsy and mood control in
severe depression cases
Implantable programmable drug delivery pumps
Intrathecal administration of Baclofen for patients with Multiple Sclerosis
with severe spasticity
Insulin pump for Diabetes
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Künftige medizinische
Anwendungen
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Artificial vision:
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BioMEMS: Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems /
Biosensors on the order of size of a human red blood
cell
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Cortical implant for the blind: bypassing the non-working
retina or optic nerve
collect data about the physiological parameters,
communicate with an external diagnostic computer system
(drug release, blood analysis, recovering cancer patients…)
Direct Brain Control: BCI (Brain Computer
Interfaces): BrainGate™: www.cyberkineticsinc.com
Memory BrainChip (artificial hippocambus) an
implantable brain chip could restore or enhance
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memory
The Dobelle Institute
(Portugal)
www.artificialvision.com
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Weitere medizinische
Anwendungen
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The German company Otto Bock
Healthcare produces prostheses like the
„C-Leg“ which is a chip-controlled leg.
See: http://www.ottobock.de/de
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Nicht-medizinische
Anwendungen
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Passive devices: An example of a
passive device is the radio frequency
identification (RFID) device.
Active devices use electrical impulses to
interact with the human’s nervous
system.
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Baja Beach Club
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http://www.bajabeach.es/
„Somos la primera discoteca del mundo
en ofrecer el VIP VeriChip. Mediante un
chip digital integrado, nuestros VIPs
pueden identificarse como tal, así como
pagar sus consumiciones sin la
necesidad de aportar ningún tipo de
documento.“
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Baja Beach Club
„El objetivo de esta tecnología es llevar
un sistema de identificación a nivel
mundial que anule la necesidad de
llevar documento de identidad y tarjeta
de crédito. El Verichip que
implantaremos en el Baja, no será sólo
para el Baja, también es útil para
cualquier otra empresa que haga uso de
esta tecnología.“
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Baja Beach Club
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„Human bar coding“
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The VeriChip™
What?
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How does it work?
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RFID=Radio Frequency
Identification Device
Passive ID tag
Contains an unique ID number
Energized by a scanner (RF)
Emits a radio signal
Transmits ID number to a
Database via phone or Internet
Current applications (FDA
approval in 2004)
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Medical records (blood type,
potencial allergies, medical
history)
Personal information
Financial information
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The VeriChip™
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VeriChip™ is a subdermal, radio frequency identification (RFID) device,
about the size of a grain of rice. This technology, developed by Applied
Digital Solutions (ADS), one US-based company, has been used in
animals for years and seems fairly harmless.
Extending the use to the human population is the next step.
The idea for employing the tags to identify humans came after the
horror of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Centre and
the Pentagon.
The chip is an ID tag which is passive (not independently powered).
When radio-frequency energy passes from a scanner, it energizes the
chip, and which then emits a radio-frequency signal transmitting the
chip's information to the reader, which in turn links with a database.
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Weitere nicht-medizinische
Anwendungen
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Experiments as reported by Kevin Warwick
(Department of Cybernetics,University of
Reading, UK)
In Mexico (August 2004) microchips were
implanted in the arms of the Fiscal General
and 160 Fiscal‘s employees to control their
access to a confidential documentation centre
and possibly track them in case of
kidnapping.
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Weitere nicht-medizinische
Anwendungen
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The UK Prime Minister announced
(August 2004) a programme whereby
the five thousand dangerous UK
criminals would be „tagged“ with
electronic devices and thereby „tracked“
continuously.
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Weitere nicht-medizinische
Anwendungen
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In the Japanese prefecture of
Wakayama (Osaka) children will use
RFID-labels for entering school (2004).
TraceCare (Wiesbaden, Germany) offers
devices that allow to find the position of
a person via internet through a Global
Positioning System (GPS).
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Weitere nicht-medizinische
Anwendungen
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The Bavarian company Ident
Technology offers tracking devices using
the human body (particularly the skin)
as digital data transmitter. See:
http://www.ident-technology.com
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Weitere nicht-medizinische
Anwendungen
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Microsoft patent Number 6,754,472
June 22, 2004 concerns the human
body as a medium for transmission of
data (or energy) to „other devices“ like
PDAs, cellular phones, medical devices,
RFID, making possible to localize
persons. The patent does not describe
any specific device.
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„Digital angel“
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Integration and miniaturization of three
technologies: www.digitalangel.com
Biosensor: read a person‘s vital signs by touching
the skin (implanted into a wristwatch)
 Pager device: takes the data from the biosensor
by using a cellular packet module
 Position location technology: using radio signal to
stay in contact with a person‘s pager device
-> this information is sent through cellular data
packets to a data centre (Digital Angel™)
-> The first Digital Angel was launched in November
2001
-> Medical emergency purposes
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-> Identification/Location purposes
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Rechtlicher Hintergrund:
Menschenwürde
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
 EU Charter of Fundamental Rights of 2000
 Convention on Human Rigts and Biomedicine
of the Council of Europe
 EU Directives
 European Constitution, National Constitutions
-> providing that the human body and its parts
shall not give rise to financial gain (Principle
of human dignity)
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Ethische Aspekte
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Anthropologischer Hintergrund:
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Die Einheit von biologischen und
psychischen Funktionen
Körper/Leib und Umwelt
Soziale Aspekte
Kulturelle Aspekte
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Ethische Aspekte
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Grundlegende ethische Prinzipien:
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Menschenwürde
Privatheit
Autonomie
Vertraulichkeit
Ethische Konflikte: Freiheit vs.
Sicherheit; Gesundheit vs.
Überwachung…
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Ethische Aspekte
Bei medizinischen Anwendungen:
 Verbot von eugenischen Praktiken
 Einwilligung des Patienten („informed
consent“)
 Kein Profit mit dem menschlichen
Körper oder mit Teilen des
menschlichen Körpers
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Ethische Aspekte
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Bei nicht-medizinischen Anwendungen:
Strikte (rechtliche) Einschränkung
 Praktiken des Ausschlusses
 Praktiken der Beherrschung
 Praktiken der Überwachung
-> Wie weit führen ICT-Implantaten zu einer
Überwachungsgesellschaft bzw. wie weit
erweitern sie menschliche Freiheit?
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Ethische Aspekte
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Läßt sich die menschliche Natur
„verbessern“?
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Was bedeutet „verbessern“?
Was bedeutet „Perfektibilität“?
Führen ICT-Implantate zu neuen Formen
von Rassismus? Die „post-human“ Debatte.
Wo liegt die Grenze zwischen
therapeutischen und nicht-therapeutischen
Anwendungen?
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Weiterführende Literatur
EGE Opinion No. 20:„Ethical Aspects on ICT Implants in the Human Body“, March
16, 2005:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/european_group_ethics/index_en.htm
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EGE Roundtable Debate on Ethical Aspects of ICT Implants in the Human Body,
December 21, 2004:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/european_group_ethics/index_en.htm
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Zum Verhältnis zwischen Ethik, Forschung und Politik vgl. v.Vf.:
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Ethics and Public Policy within a Digital Environment. In: I. Alvarez, T. W. Bynum, J.A. de
Assis Lopes, S. Rogerson (Eds.): The Transformation of Organisations in the Information
Age: Social and Ethical Implications, ETHICOMP 2002, Lisboa 2002, 319-327. Online:
http://www.capurro.de/ethicomp02.html
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Ethics Between Law and Public Policy. In: Journal of International Biotechnology Laws
(JIBL) Vol. 1, Issue 2 / 2004, 62-66.
Online: http://www.degruyter.de/rs/280_7046_DEU_h.htm
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Ethik in Europa zwischen Forschung und Politik. In: Wissenschaftszentrum NordrheinWestfalen ed. Jahrbuch 2002/2003, 200-211.
Online: http://www.capurro.de/wznrw.html
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