Biometrics, digital currency, and the mass surveillance state

Biometric technology makes it easier for government to improve and expand mass surveillance capabilities of the population, but with digital currency added to the mix, an environment is created where economic power is routinely and covertly manipulated to the benefit of the state.

According to a case study provided by World Bank consultant Adam Cooper, a program mixing digital currency and biometrics currently being developed in Singapore will help create the “digital transformation” necessary to improve mass surveillance of the population (via ReclaimTheNet.org):

Singapore is no stranger to some “advanced” and even “avant-garde” approaches to developing and harnessing the power of biometric technology for improved mass surveillance of the population. And it appears, the World Bank (WB) wants to learn from it and spread that knowledge around the world.

The World Bank and Government Technology Agency (GovTech) of Singapore have teamed up to produce a case study about the country’s Singpass program – digital ID for citizens’ transaction needs “in everyday life” – as well as MyInfo – a Singpass feature that shares user data via the scheme, and via organizations.

World Bank consultant Adam Cooper presented the case study by saying that while being “great” digital identity is “not enough.”

“Digital identity is great, but what we really want here is digital transformation – we want better services – and that’s certainly what citizens need,” said Cooper. “And to be able to do that, you need access to that data.” (Emphasis mine)

I recently reported about the work being done by government and the Federal Reserve to create a digital currency they claim will “liberate” people from the constraints of greedy bankers and governments while ensuring the unfettered access of people to their own money.

The reality, however, is this digital technology currency gives the state central control of the economy and makes it easier to conduct mass surveillance on the U.S. population. Government-controlled cryptocurrencies can track every transaction, giving the state unrestricted and easy access to our money along with “command and control” over when, how, and what we do with it.

Not only would the World Bank’s digital identity program make it easier for the state to conduct mass surveillance of every citizen using biometrics and digital currency, but government would also be able to decide on more radical and damaging moves, such as cutting people off from their money if spent in ways displeasing to Big Brother.

Despite the obvious loss of privacy and liberty with a central bank digital currency (CBDC), the heads of the United States Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank recently admitted that CBDCs will not be anonymous and as a result will be subject to mass surveillance (via ReclaimTheNet.com):

During an appearance at a Banque de France (Bank of France) event, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, said if the US were to pursue a central bank digital currency (CBDC), it would be “identity verified” and “not anonymous.”

“We would be looking to balance privacy protection with identity verification, which…has to be done, of course, in today’s traditional banking system as well,” Powell added.

The President of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, acknowledged that privacy was one of the main concerns Europeans had about the European Union’s (EU’s) proposed CBDC, the digital euro. Despite these concerns, she confirmed that “there would not be complete anonymity as there is with…bank notes” when using the digital euro.

“There would be a limited level of disclosure and certainly not at the central bank level,” Lagarde added. (Emphasis mine)

The creation of a digital currency has been a top priority of the Joe Biden administration. Earlier this year, he issued an executive order instructing a long list of federal agencies to study digital assets and to provide reports about their use and proposals on how to regulate them.

Biden’s executive order required the federal government and Federal Reserve to lay the groundwork for a new digital dollar, giving Washington one of the most dramatic expansions of federal power we’ve ever witnessed. If successfully created, individuals and businesses will lose their social and economic freedom because digital dollars will be traceable and programmable.

Government and the Federal Reserve will have the ability to create digital dollars whenever they choose using rules and restrictions they created, literally putting every single cent of our money under their control to be spent (or not spent) as Washington sees fit.

Biden’s executive order also requires digital bank currencies and other policies governing digital assets to mitigate “climate change and pollution” and promote “financial inclusion and equity.” Financial inclusion is mentioned five times in the order with equity and climate change mentioned four times each.

In practice, these requirements mean a digital dollar could be crafted to restrict fossil-fuel use, give bonuses to people for spending at particular businesses, and enact de facto price controls by disallowing users from spending more than government thinks they should on particular products. It could even be used to make Barack Obama’s “redistribute the wealth” dream a reality.

Government’s goal of using its power to destroy liberty and control of our lives via our finances has taken other forms.

For example, Joe Biden is simpatico with Justin Trudeau when it comes to using government power to seize bank accounts belonging to people fighting government tyranny. And when working as Barack Obama’s right-hand man, he helped launch Operation Choke Point, an anti-Second Amendment initiative that used banks and financial institutions to track down companies suspected of illegal activities without the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure.

In May 2021, before turning the IRS into a Treasury Department gestapo under the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden announced a plan to give the IRS power to spy on bank accounts. In September 2021, he released a plan I refer to as a Patriot Act for the IRS that requires spending more money and manpower to build a Treasury Department gestapo — money and manpower granted by Democrats and Republicans in Congress with the Inflation Reduction Act.

Using Biden’s own words, we have every reason to believe that he will use digital currency and biometrics to make it easier for the state to expand its mass surveillance capabilities, giving government full control over us. our money, and nearly every aspect of American society and the economy.

 

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David Leach is the owner of the Strident Conservative. He holds people of every political stripe accountable for their failure to uphold conservative values, and he promotes those values instead of political parties.

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