#5 Digital IDs and the Restriction of Freedom

“It’s literally opening Pandora’s box” the businessman excitedly told me.  He was in my office to lobby for House Bill 78aa, which directs the Idaho DMV to create Digital Driver’s License IDs;  “mDLs” for short.  While I appreciated his enthusiasm, this was about the worst thing he could have said to me.  My eyes must have betrayed my concern at that statement, because he quickly added “…In a good way.”  While I disagreed with his hasty addendum, I certainly believed the first half of his statement.  Digital IDs could be the gateway to horrors we have not yet experienced here as citizens of the United States, free citizens of the State of Idaho.

It is hard to overstate the broad reaching ramifications of implementing an international standardization for digital IDs (the legislation called for mDL to adhere to ISO/IEC 18013-5).  The potential for abuse, hard or soft government control, and a subtle fear reigning over all citizens reminiscent of the most vivid dystopian tale would no longer be the stuff of a screen writer’s imagination.

Proponents will start by touting the convenience of having all your information on your phone.  Let them keep talking and they soon begin speaking towards the immediate future.  Words like “anchor point” and “framework” start being used.  It’s true, a government issued digital ID does create a framework for all other personal information to be attached to, much like how social security numbers are used to verify identity today.  Insurance, criminal and medical records can easily be assigned to a digital wallet, verified by biometric data.

That certainly could be convenient to some, but it could also be used by totalitarian governments to create an almost inescapable control grid over citizens.

I started my engineering career just before COVID hit.  The risk of dying from the pandemic was minimal, but the risk of losing my livelihood because I did not take the vaccine was an ever present and looming threat.  Travel was restricted, with many in power arguing for a complete lockdown of society.  In the end, a total lockdown based on whether one was up to date on their vaccines was not logistically feasible for the government.  Imagine the scene of cars lined up at checkpoints while officers in bio-suits checked vaccine cards, this was a bad look politically and even the more leftist states tried to avoid this optic from happening.

However, if a digital ID were in place during the covid lockdowns, there is little doubt in my mind that vaccination records would have been attached.  Since all ID information is already shared across states via the private association AAMVA (American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators), states like Oregon and California would have had access to that information.  As an example, any Idahoan crossing into Oregon for affordable groceries could have their data quickly and remotely assessed to see if they had the up-to-date vaccine schedule.  If yes, the citizen could be on their way with no interruption.  If not, they could be pulled over and detained.  The scene of citizens being herded through physical checkpoints could be avoided, because there would be an invisible, digital checkpoint instead.

The DMV said in committee testimony that the user would have to grant permission for anyone to access their ID and the attached information.  But that is a privacy safeguard that is merely coded into the system via software controls, not an inherent part of the technology.   It would only take a few lines of code changes to make it so those with the right digital keys (theoretically assigned to police, military, medical personnel, etc...) would have immediate access to that relevant information.  And note, Idaho has no control over what other states or governments may require our citizens to do once they cross state lines out of Idaho, nor how this information could be utilized.  A person could be identified by scanners while they walk down the street or drive across state lines on the freeway.  Digital IDs allow the potential for this remote observation.

In the case of Covid, that change in the software code could have been achieved with a simple executive order under a medical emergency or even an agency rule change.  As we know from previous tragedies and crisis, the powers that be actively seek “never let a good crisis go to waste.”  With the technological infrastructure in place, it could be used to further gain control over citizens.  We are starting to see glimpses of the “15 Minute City” concept already in areas of China.  It is important that everyone works diligently to ensure liberty is not lost to the next generation; sold for the current price of convenience and ease for us, here and now.

You can watch part of the committee hearing here:

I am thankful to my fellow colleagues on the Senate Transportation Committee who voted with me in protecting our citizen’s freedom for another day.  It is imperative we continue to fight against the ever-encroaching centralization of power in our society.