“Digital systems – how they’re built, the data they gather (and the data they don’t), the categories we’re put into – by design require a flattening of our identities, reflecting a prioritisation of what most matters to the people collecting the data. Our identities are fluid – that’s what makes us human – but digital systems require concrete boundaries to be established and people to be put in concrete categories.”
“In addition, the digital systems that gather our data, particularly data that comes from our bodies (our biometric data), carry huge potential for misuse. Over the past few years, we’ve seen identification systems – and identification data itself – be weaponised around the world to further xenophobic political agendas. “
“What is different now, though, is how digital technologies enable a spread of these systems at a scale that was unimaginable before. Now, it’s not just governments who are building and creating these databases but also private sector companies with direct access to billions of people. “
Yes, digital IDs are efficient. But they’re a threat to our very identities by Zara Rahman