Biohacking: A Call for Regulation

Body modification is something that is becoming very prevalent in our society today. Plastic surgery, tattoos, and piercing are all forms of modification we are used to seeing. It's rare to go anywhere, be it a mall or a church, without seeing someone with a tattoo, piercing, or Botox injection. Just sixty years ago, this would be shocking and appalling, but the social stigma surrounding these forms of modification are quickly falling to the wayside. Now a new form of what some consider to be body modification is making its way into the public sphere; these modifications are categorized under the title of "biohacking." One example of this is the sci-fi reminiscent implantation of magnetic chips beneath the skin. What most do not consider, however, is that biohacking goes beyond mere implementation of magnets and enters into the realm of tweaking various types of cells. It is definitely plausible to argue that magnetic implants will someday have the same regulatory rules as a tattoo or a nose piercing, but it would be unacceptable to allow all forms of biohacking to continue with such little interference. Although some consider biohacking to fall into the same category as body modification, biohacking actually has a much broader category of meaning, and, should people insist on its continued existence, the government should regulate it with a very heavy hand.

Because biohacking is gaining increasing popularity, it is important the term is understood and, secondly, that the knowledge gained is used to regulate the movement without completely restricting creativity. The people engaging in biohacking practices perform experiments in labs - some in home basements and others in funded institutions - where they run tests on everything from cells to their own bodies. Some of these people are legitimate and are just trying to increase accessibility and knowledge of molecular biology. It is from this sort of biohacking community that it would be possible to find cures and ways to replace damaged human tissue or limbs. My argument is not that these types of institutions should be put to a stop, but I do believe they should be regulated by the government. Without regulation, too many things could go wrong; just like there is strict regulation on tattoos and piercings so that diseases don't spread, there also should be strict regulation on these types of places so that things are not taken too far.

Other groups of biohackers, especially those performing tests from their own homes, are the people from which the real problem arises. These are the people who have the potential to really harm themselves and others in their experimentation. In fact, they have built up an only community of do-it-at-home biohackers who tinker with things when they don't really know what they are doing. The methods they use, although they have safety suggestions and forums, are actually very dangerous. For example, there are instructions for a device that shoots electric currents through the brain that people can build from home. Inexperienced people are allowed access to all of the DIY information, and they are not required to look at or employ any of the safety precautions. Just like at-home plastic surgery can bring about horrifying results, biohacking has the same potential for damage.

Because of the lack of regulation in these experiments, there are many, many things that could go wrong beyond bodily harm. The possibilities range from creating a new disease to creating a new way to hack computers and phones. Depending on what these people are manipulating or doing, they could unknowingly create a pathological organism which has the potential to seriously affect a certain geographic area or even a much larger proportion of the world. When examining all of the things that could go wrong, it is clear that if biohacking does not come to a stop, it at least need to be watched closely by the government. Regulation was put in place to keep needles sterile in piercing and tattoo parlors because of the potential spread of various forms of Hepatitis and HIV or skin disorders; regulation also needs to be in place for biohacking practices to prevent things like this from happening.

Biohacking does not just have the potential for bodily harm, but also threatens the aforementioned area of cyber safety. As of right now, there are products available which a person can implant into their arm or hand that read bodily health information and send that information to a cellphone or computer. This can alert people to a medical condition they were not previously aware of, or tell someone with a heart condition when their heart rate is too high, and potentially save someone's life. However, despite its possible benefits, this technology has the ability to be used for bad as well. One man allegedly placed a microchip into his hand in order to hack into Android phones. He used this technology to open a webpage on the phone which then downloaded a virus within seconds. If people are allowed to walk around with any sort of device they want to stick in their arm, there will be no way for the rest of the population to protect themselves from cyberattacks. Regulation is especially important in this area.

Although there are potential positive results form biohacking, there are too many negative effects to let it go unregulated. Something as simple as getting a hole put through your earlobe is regulated by rules and specific agencies, so biohacking, which has much more serious implications, most definitely should be as well. If biohacking is to be beneficial to society like most biohackers intend, it must be controlled to keep people who have no experience or those with cruel intentions from doing something harmful to themselves or others.