While public opinion is focused on migration debates, wars and inflation concerns, politicians are working – largely unnoticed – on a system that could fundamentally change the relationship between citizens and the state: the widespread adoption of digital identity. What is currently being pushed in Britain under the pretext of “fighting illegal immigration” is in fact a Europe-wide pilot project for the full registration and control of the population.
In an open letter, some 40 British Labour MPs are calling for the introduction of a national digital identity system that is given to every citizen at birth. This identifier applies to all areas of life: social benefits, education, medicine, finance, employment. The reason: This is the only way to effectively prevent illegal immigration. But if you take a closer look, you’ll see that migration is just the hook – the goal is to record and control the population nationwide. The digital ID is sold as a universal tool that can solve any social “problem”:
- It is supposed to prevent electoral fraud.
- Its purpose is to protect children on the Internet.
- It can stop epidemics.
- It reduces crime.
- It reduces truancy and social fraud.
- And, of course, this is “good for the economy”.
So a digital “Swiss army knife” for public administration – and for citizens, who will become a transparent number, fully digitized and vetted.
What is starting now in Britain has been happening in the EU for a long time. Under the keyword “EU Digital Identity Wallet”, the European Commission intends to provide all EU citizens with a digital identity document by 2030 to identify themselves in front of authorities, banks, employers and online services, all through a central application. The reasoning is similar to the British one: efficiency, security, data protection, modernization. In reality, however, a gigantic verification tool appears that can be linked to health data such as vaccination status, bank information, locations and social profiles. What sounds like convenience is actually entering a system in which every action can be digitally documented, evaluated, and sanctioned if necessary, as is the case in China’s social credit system.
Switzerland, which is officially neutral and sovereign, has long been part of this agenda. The e-ID card, which was voted on in 2021 and failed at the time due to data protection concerns, is now being reintroduced in a revised form, this time under the control of the state instead of private providers , but with the same infrastructure. Austria, Norway and Iceland are all working towards the same goal: digital identity as the key to access everyday life. Without an ID card, there are no online services, no medical care, no access to authorities or bank accounts. Officially, digital identity is meant to protect the population – but in reality, it is to monitor, control and discipline the population. Anyone with access to the digital ID infrastructure can:
- Real-time guidance for citizens
- Blocks payments, e.g. for politically “conspicuous” people
- Travel restriction
- Vaccination or medical status validation
- Revoke online access
Such a system makes censorship, political repression and economic exclusion not only possible, but also technically trivial. What starts with “protection against illegal immigration” is actually the global introduction of digital surveillance. Digital identity is sold as an evolution, but in reality it serves a new governance paradigm: trust is replaced by control. The transparent citizen is no longer a dystopian nightmare – it’s a politically desirable reality, and it doesn’t start with a big bang, but with a friendly smile: “We just want you to be safe.”
Translated and edited by Alex Kada