The controversy took place in recent days on social media: a chip, apparently created by a Portuguese company, that promised “zero secrets” in relationships. Is it real or a mere marketing ploy? SIC Verifies.
The debate began in recent days, shortly after they were made public, on February 9, the and of RelationChip, an innovative concept created with the aim of “controlling who you love”.
“Two chips, one relationship, zero secrets”: That was the brand promise. The product was described as a technological revolution capable of transforming the way couples share information and relate to each other on a daily basis.
According to the information released, it would be enough to place a microdevice on the finger for each member of the couple to be connected to an application that would allow them to know, in real time, the partner’s location, who they would be with, access the messages exchanged and even passwords.
After the announcement of this product, the reactions were quick. Criticism on social media multiplied, with users questioning the invasive nature of the technology and the legality of its commercialization.
Several public figures also reacted to the concept, increasing the discussion around the normalization of controlling behaviors in relationships. As was the case of by Anna Markl.
But after all, was the RelationChip really going to be sold in Portugal?
“The RelationChip, with two subcutaneous microchips that promised to revolutionize romantic relationships through continuous monitoring, access to passwords and location tracking. A technological solution that challenged putting relationships to the test: ‘Two chips, one relationship, zero secrets'”,.
The objective of the campaign was “to expose and confront the normalization of controlling behaviors in relationships between young people”.
“By presenting RelationChip’s features – 24/7 location, automatic password synchronization, contact monitoring – APAV sought to confront young people with the reality of their own behaviors. The fake product worked as a mirror of everyday practices carried out through cell phones and social networks,” he added in the note.
On the day the fake product was announced, Inês Castel-Branco spoke out again, revealing that she was aware that it was, after all, an awareness campaign.
“The chip is fake, but the behavior is real. If you look closely at the campaign, the chip doesn’t do anything that the cell phone doesn’t do. This is what many boyfriends or girlfriends demand from their partners: Always have the locator on. Always wanting to know who you are with (for example, send photos or videos). Have access to each other’s social networks and cell phones. And it’s much more common than they think,”.
The campaign thus intended to generate debate about control, digital surveillance and dating violence, using an extreme concept to illustrate behaviors that, according to APAV, already occur in everyday life.
SIC verifies that it is…
The RelationChip is not a real product, it is not for sale in Portugal nor does it correspond to any technological device available on the market. This is an awareness campaign created by APAV with the aim of sparking debate and raising awareness about controlling behaviors in romantic relationships, especially among young people.
