Digital IDs in commentary & editorials

Oppose Mandatory Digital IDs

commentary editorials

As a Further Menace to Privacy and Freedom

By Cindy Sheehan

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With the advent of digital technology, we face an alarming rise in the demand for issuing mandatory digital IDs. Undoubtedly, the concept sounds efficient and potentially beneficial to all parties involved; however, knowing what we already know about the global technocrats, profiteers, and corrupt politicians, this will probably open an unnerving gateway to the total destruction of privacy. What should be a concern for each one of us appears to be a convenience for those in power.

(Read to the end for a petition to sign, if you like)

You’re Not Alone in the Game:

Mandatory digital IDs could seem like an excellent idea at first glance, but they will assuredly lead to severe repercussions. You will be surprised to find that the issue of mandatory digital IDs is not new. Many governments have already implemented similar schemes, and the results speak for themselves – a decline in privacy rights. For example, China’s Social Credit Score system has become an object of surveillance, with its mandated facial recognition software and the government’s capacity to aggregate various data sets from its citizens to label them “good” or “bad.”

Infringement on Privacy:

The implementation of these digital IDs is an unwarranted invasion of privacy. They serve as a vast trove of information that can be used against us any time and contain sensitive information that should remain within our control. Not only do these digital IDs store and track our information, but they also allow third parties access to our data, which can lead to security breaches, identity theft, and even the denial of critical resources. This is a cause of great concern and an assault on our right to privacy.

Unwanted Surveillance:

Mandatory digital IDs would undoubtedly lead to unwanted surveillance, to put it mildly. The government would no longer need a court order or a warrant to gather information on its citizens. Warrants are nominally used now, and it appears pretty easy to get one, but dIDs would make any semblance of right to privacy, or right to due process, even scarcer. People will be further monitored without their knowledge or consent, which will undoubtedly lead to further abuse, intimidation, and intrusions into our private lives.

Digital IDs Lead to Profiling:

Mandatory digital IDs can enable governments even more to build up vast databases of information on their citizens, leading to profiling based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or political views. This risks creating a situation where anyone who falls into a particular group is automatically subjected to scrutiny by the government, where their possibilities for protection from harm may be compromised.

The most alarming aspect of the Digital ID scam, to me, is that our medical information, particularly, vax status will more than likely be one of the data points on the dID: essential services like: emergency medical, food, housing, travel, and education could potentially be denied by a vax passport kind of situation. Unacceptable to me, but many people who were scared out of their pants by the Covid shamdemic, are unfortunately in favor of these fascistic measures. #Pathetic

An Infringement of Our Weakening Constitutional Rights:

Mandatory digital IDs are a violation of our constitutional rights and privacy laws and should be challenged. Any laws that allow governments to collect and store data on their citizens without their knowledge or consent must be closely monitored, contested, and prohibited. However, it’s up to us to resist the erosion of our rights and fight this mandatory dIDs system.

In conclusion, the implementation of mandatory dIDs poses a severe threat to our constitutional rights and privacy. The real solution comes with more comprehensive auditing, frameworks, and accountability measures for governments to protect citizens and their privacy. Governments should, but few will, this is why we must resist, prioritize creating legislation that is transparent, secure, and auditable while empowering citizens to take control of their data. Any infringement on privacy should be challenged, and our constitutional rights should never be sacrificed for the sake of convenience.

We have already allowed them to go too far and it’s past time to fight back against this insidious threat to our privacy and stand firm in protecting our digital sovereignty.

Cindy Lee Sheehan is an American anti-war activist, whose son, U.S. Army Specialist Casey Sheehan, was killed by enemy action during the Iraq War. She attracted national and international media attention in August 2005 for her extended antiwar protest at a makeshift camp outside President George W. Bush’s Texas ranch—a stand that drew both passionate support and criticism. Sheehan ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2008. She was a vocal critic of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy. Her memoir, Peace Mom: A Mother’s Journey Through Heartache to Activism, was published in 2006. In an interview with The Daily Beast in 2017, Sheehan continued to hold her critical views towards George W. Bush, while also criticizing the militarism of Donald Trump.

Ms.Sheehan was the 2012 vice-presidential nominee of the Peace and Freedom Party, and received 1.2% of the statewide vote in the 2014 California gubernatorial election.

The author graciously has permitted this website to reprint selected essays.

The views and/or opinions expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and/or opinions of APS Radio News or of its affiliate, APS Radio.

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