That was my first thought, if you want smaller than a badge, then maybe a ring or bracelet should be tried before an implanted device!

I can't think of any benefits here that a ring/bracelet wouldn't provide, plus the added benefit of removability without surgery.

Conditioning.

[& p.s. since HN doesn't like single word replies]

They are normalizing mechanisms of maximal control. Just like the perp walk of innocents in airports. Chipping is what we do to cattle. And of course, a simple hospital style bracelet would afford a substantially larger surface area for embedding of technology.

Getting all kinds of press in the tech world.

I doubt the companies care that much about convenience. What they're probably thinking is "oh, it's like a badge nobody can steal!" Which is wrong. The stealing is just a lot more painful.