The Federal Drug Administration has ruled that the Verichip, an implantable microchip used for ID purposes, is not a regulated device, so it can now be sold in the United States.

Applied Digital Solutions has been marketing the VeriChip in the U.S. as a device to allow hospital workers to access patients’ health records, by scanning the chip and cross-referencing the device’s ID with a patient database.

In South America, the device has been bundled with a GPS-unit and sold to potential kidnapping victims.

Some Christians fear it may be the “Mark of the Beast” described in the Bible and privacy advocates are concerned about the chip’s involuntary implantation or its use to track government dissidents.