Kerby Anderson

Europe is moving quickly to make sure that every person in every country has a digital identification on their phone. Michael Brendan Dougherty dreads that “The Rush to Digital ID is Creepy.”

He begins by acknowledging some of the benefits. “Instead of handing your driver’s license over to a bouncer — who then learns your name, address, home state, exact birth date, and what class of vehicle you’re licensed to drive — you could simply confirm via your phone that you’re over 21 and allowed into a bar.”

Since I never go to a bar, I don’t see that as much of an advantage. But you know that the European Union will use this example, and many others, to illustrate how a digital ID will be more convenient and offer greater privacy. You can also find arguments that it will cut costs and even help fight terrorism.

What concerns him is the attempt to bundle so many systems and databases. If there is a problem with the digital ID, it would leave someone locked out of their life. And it could easily be hacked. He reminds us that hundreds of millions of accounts with Adobe, JPMorgan Chase, and Facebook were exposed because of hackers.

He also is concerned that this collection of data “risks becoming a giant data panopticon for the continent.” But the greatest concern is how Europe’s digital ID “bears a striking resemblance to the front end of a Chinese-style social credit system.”

Seven years ago, I wrote the booklet, “A Biblical Point of View on Privacy and Surveillance.” What was theoretical then is closer to reality now. That’s why we should be concerned about digital IDs being developed in Europe.