Emeritus Prof Christopher May

You know that a policy is in trouble when not only is it scaled back, but the justification shifts around (searching for something that will *actually* appeal to voters)...

So the UK's Digital ID project was intended initially to deal with the issue of migration, then was going to aid access to benefits, but (Darren Jones, now heading up the project) tells us now it will help reduce populism's appeal.

Yup Digital ID is a solution looking for a problem!

#DigitalID #politics #technology
h/t FT

Apr 9 at 5:06pmWeb
Show threadMostlyTato3d ago
@ChrisMayLA6
Even if the specific policy gets shot down, the same trend towards biometric data harvesting will continue in various forms., popping up like heads of the hydra in some insidious game of whack-a-mole.
Show threadJen3d ago
@MostlyTato @ChrisMayLA6 see also photo ID for voting (ie, forcing people onto ID databases or be disenfranchised) and online age restrictions (ie, copying ID from everyone proving they're old enough).
Show threadbeemoh3d ago
@ChrisMayLA6 Amazing how it managed to ricochet to "reduce populism's appeal" from "literally enforcing populism specifically".
Show threadEmeritus Prof Christopher May3d ago
@beemoh 💯
Show threaddissident3d ago

@ChrisMayLA6 Ironic that an unpopular policy is being reframed in a populist manner as opposing populism.

This is quite an achievement even by Starmer's government's rudderless and morally vacuous standards.

Show threadPiglet3d ago
@ChrisMayLA6 because even the Starmeroids know "we are doing this for mass population surveillance" isn't going to be acceptable to the public and "because we can, we have the technology, well, we're paying Palantir for access to it but they promised not to do anything shady with the data" isn't a good reason.
Show threadcraignicol3d ago
@ChrisMayLA6 @PoliceStateUK defeat Fascists through correct identification? 🤔
Show threadNina Cried Power3d ago

@ChrisMayLA6

Coercive control by government.

Even if you believe nothing to hide means nothing to fear, are you prepared to justify every choice you make?

Are you willing to ask government permission to undertake your free will?

Show threadTC Won't Give In To Lies3d ago

@ChrisMayLA6

Now that the flirtation with Blair and Mandelson has proved unhelpful, maybe this project of theirs will fade away

...and take the Palantir contracts with it.