Long time ago before the internet I read one too, I think the implant was called it Low Jacking, Load Jacking? Anyway, turned out you needed it to compete in the job market: the more updates on info for your type of job you worked, then determined your pay and subsequent rise in job position etc, problem was most couldn’t ever afford the updates/upgrades, and in between all that you had desperate people turning to black market upgrades and installs that were frying peoples brains, and also struggling to pay for mandatory security updates to protect yourself from being mind-hacked.

Very depressing cautionary short story.