I've had to research digital ID backend architecture in depth, and I'll be honest, the digital ID itself isn't the problem. If anything it's more sane and efficient, and certainly doesn't add any more data than you've already given the government. What ELSE do expect there to be?

The issue with digital IDs is how they're used by vendors and websites, and what data from interactions is recorded. If a digital ID system used a third-party audited Zero Knowledge Proof system, it would actually be better than the unholy mess we have now with every service scrounging for your data and face.

But, the day a government does a tech thing right on the first try is the same day I sprout wings from my ass and fly away.

"Please accept all our tracking cookies before being able to read this website"

Wow, so many words but no real explination for the extreme stance this author takes against the e-ID other than "Class oppression" or whatever...

And then you need to accept 1000 cookies before you can read.

I think the issue isn't with "Digital ID" per se, but rather with another issue the article touches on which is how people end up lost as data in a vast system.

In Australia, we've had ongoing class action lawsuits and scandals relating to our welfare system because past governments implemented aggressive (and illegal) rules that cut payments early and even made up enormous fake debts which drove some people to suicide.

So far no criminal charges have been laid on the people who came up with these cruel ideas.

It's not the ID. It's the implementation. I do like the Belgian implementation.. It's been nearly 10 years now and it seems to be pretty secure and trustworthy.

It sure would suck if the government had information on your driving license and passport already, so that they could identify you, or that you carry around a mini GPS beacon in your pocket, allowing you to be tracked as long as there is signal....

What a nightmare that would be

Fortunately, you can regulate your access to your ID by using one of these:

i don't know if the current solution of sending a photo of a physical ID together with a selfie to facebook is any better in terms of control or privacy. while at the same time i believe more places will ask to ID you when a digital ID happens in a given country

and i don't think it's an "if" either. we do have reasons to ID people irl too and the more life happens online the more those reasons also appear online. the only thing to me that is realistic is to work to have those solutions implemented the right way with as little possibilities for surveillance as possible. otherwise we just keep sending selfies and pictures of IDs around forever