DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: Is digital ID the mark of the beast?

As many Americans believe (to the tune of it being a strong case of the truth), the United States continues to go down a path of lies, deception, and hidden agendas.

Fitting right into that plotline is the current state of the U.S. digital ID trajectory.

If you’re a digital ID fan and require all the latest toys and apps, then stop reading now. You won’t understand where I’m going with this week’s column.

Otherwise, ask yourself, “Why does any human believe they should have access and control over any other human? Why does any human believe they have a right to another person’s information?”

And no, in the end it’s not going to be for your greater good.

For example, for every one criminal a police department tells you a big brother camera will catch, remember that camera is still tracking everyone. And there are hundreds of “everyone’s” who have done nothing wrong and don’t want to be tracked like unknowing prey.

In a world where Jack and Jill fight over why he or she is asking “where are you going, why are you going and when will you be home,” it seems it has suddenly become okay for Jack or Jill to let every stranger in the universe have complete access to not only their constant whereabouts, but their spending habits, eating habits, sleep patterns, illnesses, idiosyncrasies, psychosis – and the list goes on.

If you don’t want your friends and family to know every piece of your personal life, why would you want an ego-driven, nosy, big brother lording over you and your personal information?

Let’s spotlight for a moment the digital ID issue taking place in the United Kingdom.

Despite a huge turnout rejecting the digital ID forced compliance, UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer basically flipped his finger off to the people of Great Britain and said too bad.

One man in the UK asked why he should get a digital ID in Great Britain since Starmer was using the excuse it’s for jobs and illegal immigration issues. The man pointed out he already had a job, with no need to show a digital ID. He was told flatly the country would make sure everyone has a digital ID or they wouldn’t be able to keep their job.

One software developer explained that digital ID will not work the way people are anticipating. He said the government needs everyone to be on a device that can utilize the Digital ID system, a special type of software. It’s the software that allows for the surveillance and tracking. That includes Samsung and Apple.

Remember the COVID passport in Europe. Countries in the EU required citizens to have COVID passports to travel – that was digital ID. People had to upgrade their phones to travel with the COVID passport.

If you’ve been at airports, shops or grocery stores in the US, you might have already seen in some cases you could not get into the store (or probably out of the store) without swiping a card.

Personally, I just bypass big brother and they lose my business. So many people unfortunately just blindly swipe while laughing and thinking it’s progress.

Depends on how you define progress.

Last week, Apple introduced Digital ID, a new way to create and present an ID in Apple Wallet (www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/11/apple-introduces-digital-id-a-new-way-to-create-and-present-an-id-in-apple-wallet).

Even if you’re too lazy to pull out your credit card, passport or whatever, consider the issues of identity theft that can become a real nightmare with digital ID.

Read “What You Need to Know about Digital IDs and Mobile Driver’s Licenses Cybersecurity” (www.staysafeonline.org/articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-digital-ids-and-mobile-driver-s-licenses-cybersecurity).

Privacy groups including Privacy International and Big Brother Watch are stressing the risks of digital identity systems with warnings of data breaches, user profiling, surveillance, exclusion and function creep.

Consider this: planned chaos will also allow for the government to implement their surveillance for the “good of the people” – you know that song and dance, right.

How about if they just stop creating the chaos (i.e. government shutdown, ICE raids on legal citizens, and the list goes on).

Are you aware that your face is already being scanned? Do your research on that.

Read www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/ice-face-recognition – and while I don’t agree with the entirety it’s good food for thought.

Even as far back as 2015, CBS did a report on facial recognition software (www.cbsnews.com/news/facial-recognition-software-is-scanning-you-where-you-least-expect-it).  Unfortunately it wasn’t until the COVID psyop that people woke up to the measures an ego will go to control the masses.

Remember in 2016 when Pres. Trump mentioned a biometric visa tracking system. This will arrive in 2026 8 U.S. Code § 1365b - Biometric entry and exit data system.

Are you familiar with biometrics? It’s the physical measurements of different body parts (iris, fingerprints, face, DNA) to be used for identification purposes. It’s human collection used to increase the power of police, government, and private companies to identify, monitor, and track people.

Then, there is the next step in data sharing, usually automated large datasets of people’s identities and lives. Unless you have been sleeping, you might be aware private companies also collect, sell, and share data with government agencies.

So sure, while digital IDs may seem convenient, remember too it creates state power and systems of control that compromise a person’s freedom.

Just last week, at least four times I encountered acquaintances/co-workers having trouble with their phones because their facial recognition had locked them out.

I gave each of them a side eye and mentioned digital ID. They scoffed at me.

Does anyone understand why the federal government decided to require REAL ID this year?

Supposedly it was for national security. The REAL ID Act passed in 2005 to improve national security by making identification documents more secure and reliable while also preventing fraud. Another big reason was to combat terrorism with the narrative that stricter standards were needed as a response to the 9/11 attacks.

Has anyone noticed that every piece of freedom the government (yes, those employees we hired) takes away from Americans really has nothing to do with security. They just know most people are gullible enough to believe it and will do anything out of fear.

That and the fact if the government had really wanted to combat terrorism, Biden must not have gotten that memo. Remember how he alongside certain other politicians opened the border wide in a push not to combat terrorism or anything else.

Christians are saying digital ID is the mark of the beast. I’m going to take that a step further because this is not just a Christian issue. And it’s not just Christians who understand what is going on, it’s the people paying attention be it Jew, Muslim, pagan, Hindu or whatever you identify with as a soul.

Everything being done for some years now has been leading the world into digital ID in all its various implications. Already Singapore, India, Estonia, Sweden, Germany, Japan and Canada have some form of digital ID. Even though the list I saw did not include China, most are aware China is the poster child for digital ID on steroids.

I just wonder if some of those who think digital ID is such a good idea have been to China (and yes, I have been there a number of times). I can hear the frustration now when those same people have their ID shut off from travel, groceries, bank accounts or even mobile phone use because they went over their social media credits for the month, made too many calls to their lover, or flushed their toilet too many times.

Dystopian musings perhaps, but so was the COVID lockdown and yet people rallied behind that bad idea too.

Rita Cook is a freelance writer for The Ellis County Press. She can be reached at rcook13@earthlink.net.