Dr Lisa Hutchinson
The National Residents Association (NRA) has produced a short video on Telegram that warns about the emerging threats posed by the introduction of a digital ID, which is summarised herein. Imagine where every aspect of your life is tracked, scored, and dictated by a social credit score number. This sounds like science fiction, right? Disturbingly, we are actually closer to that reality than you might think. Let’s consider digital IDs and social scoring systems – the next disturbing frontier. There are some reports that China is engaged in implementing a social credit system where citizens are rewarded or punished based on their behaviour. Imagine that concept expanded to every single thing you do. Pay your bills on time, your score goes up. Eat the ‘wrong’ food, and the points drop. This is just the beginning. Think about how our lives are already intertwined with digital systems. For example, your smartphone tracks your location, and your shopping habits are stored in countless databases. Social media activity creates a detailed profile of who you are. Picture a scenario where all of this data is combined into one comprehensive scoring system. The technology for this future is already here. Facial recognition, Blockchain, AI – they are all pieces of this puzzle.
Some countries are already experimenting with digital ID systems that could one day evolve into something more comprehensive. But here is where it gets interesting. These systems could affect everything from your ability to travel, to the jobs you can apply for, to the people you are allowed to associate with, buying a coffee, your choice of friends, even your social media likes. Everything could impact your score. Supporters say it will create a more orderly society, reduce crime and reward good behaviour. Critics, however, warn about privacy violations, government control and the death of personal freedom. Here is the twist: we might be voluntarily walking into this future. Every time we accept the terms and conditions without reading them, and trade privacy for convenience, we are laying the groundwork for this system.
So what can we do? We need to start asking tough questions. Who controls these systems? What behaviours are considered good or bad? Can scores be appealed? These are no longer just theoretical questions – they are becoming increasingly relevant to our daily lives. The future of digital ID and social scoring isn’t just coming, aspects of it are already here. The crucial question is do we want it? This is important because once the system is fully implemented, there might be no turning back. Technology is neither good nor bad, it is how we use it that matters. The choices we make today will shape the world we live in tomorrow. Stay informed, stay engaged and, most importantly, stay aware of what you are signing up for.
Imagine you are standing at the airport ready for your dream holiday, but your phone battery is empty! Digital ID could mean no flight! This nightmare could be our reality sooner than you think. If we consider digital IDs – a seemingly convenient solution that is being pushed as the future of identification. No more carrying multiple cards, seamless transactions. But let’s dig deeper into what we are really signing up for. Picture your entire existence tied to a digital system. Your ability to buy groceries, take public transport, access healthcare, or even browse the internet – all dependent on this single digital identity. What happens when technology fails? And it will fail. Think about those moments when your phone dies unexpectedly. Now imagine that same situation, but you cannot buy food, cannot get home, cannot prove who you are. You are essentially locked out of society. This isn’t fear-mongering: it is a very real possibility. Digital IDs could create a ‘checkpoint society’. Every move you make, every purchase, every journey would be tracked, monitored and potentially controlled. To board a bus, buy medicines, or access the internet, will require your digital ID. This isn’t speculation. It is already happening in some parts of the world.
The push for digital IDs often comes wrapped in promises of security or convenience. But we need to ask ourselves, security for whom? And convenience at what cost? Once we give up our tangible physical forms of identification, we are handing over unprecedented control of our daily lives to systems that could fail, be hacked, or be used against us. Digital systems are remarkably efficient at excluding people. One glitch, one system error, one wrongly flagged transaction and you could find yourself locked out of your own life. No appeals process, no human interaction.
Before we rush headlong into this brave new world, we need to pause and ask: what are we really gaining? More importantly, what are we giving up? Our privacy? Our autonomy? Our freedom to move and exist without constant surveillance? Stay tangible, and keep your physical IDs. When promises of a more convenient digital future are presented – remember what is at stake. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply say no. Your Identity. Your Freedom. Your Choice. Choose Wisely. Stay Tangible. Stay Free. Say No to Digital ID.
Digital ID is not possible without 5G-based technology. This is because 5G is defined as a scanning and backhaul of data-based technology, whereby data is picked up by scanning beams and fed back into an analytical AI computer. This constitutes mass surveillance and enables not only geolocation but geofencing, whereby aspects of human activity are digitally shut off. Clearly, this scenario is not aligned to the concept of a democratic society. Rather, it represents a surveillance network of totalitarian state control. ACHES has strongly contested the premise for the introduction of digital IDs. ACHES has sent a letter to the Parliamentary Home Affairs Select Committee explaining why the notions of a UK digital ID project should be abandoned completely and permanently. Please share the important message within this Substack and accompanying NRA video.