- The UN’s “50-in-5” campaign, backed by the Gates Foundation, aims to implement digital public infrastructure (DPI) in 50 countries by 2028, including digital IDs, payment systems and data-sharing platforms – framed as progress but criticized as a tool for centralized control.
- Digital IDs centralize biometric data (fingerprints, facial scans) and track personal activities, raising fears of mass surveillance, social credit systems and loss of privacy under the guise of “convenience” and “financial inclusion.”
- Countries like India, Ethiopia, Vietnam and Thailand are making digital IDs mandatory for banking, education, travel and even internet access (e.g., Papua New Guinea’s “SevisPass”), freezing accounts or restricting services for non-compliance.
- Tech giants like Apple are integrating digital IDs into corporate ecosystems (e.g., U.S. passports in Apple Wallet), while governments and international bodies fast-track adoption with minimal public debate – mirroring pandemic-era tactics of rapid, top-down implementation.
- Critics warn this system will replace inherent rights with revocable digital privileges, enabling asset seizure, censorship and lockdowns under the pretext of “emergencies” – solidifying a global architecture of control.
In a move critics are calling an unprecedented consolidation of digital power, a United Nations initiative backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is accelerating plans to enroll 50 nations in a global digital identity system by 2028.
Dubbed the “50-in-5” campaign, the effort has already secured commitments from at least 30 countries since its launch in late 2023 – signaling a rapid, top-down transformation of how citizens across the world will prove who they are. This push runs parallel to the European Union’s own mandate for a digital wallet for all member states by 2025. However, it has raised alarm among civil liberties advocates who see the fingerprints of a new global architecture for potential surveillance and control.
Digital ID systems are electronic versions of physical identification documents, stored on a smartphone. Proponents argue they streamline access to services and foster financial inclusion.
But the core technology allows for the centralized collection of vast amounts of personal data, including biometrics like fingerprints and facial scans. This creates a comprehensive digital footprint of an individual’s activities, a feature that fuels the fears of those who distrust the intentions of global elites and centralized institutions.
The rollout is a present-day reality unfolding at a breakneck pace. A common pattern is emerging: What begins as a voluntary convenience is fast becoming a mandatory requirement for participation in modern society.
In India, the Aadhaar digital ID is now indispensable for over a billion citizens, required for actions from opening a bank account to enrolling a child in school. Similarly, Ethiopia is aggressively rolling out its “Fayda” ID for all 90 million citizens by 2027, making it compulsory for accessing bank accounts and public services.
The coercion is even more stark in nations like Vietnam and Thailand. Vietnam has frozen at least 86 million bank accounts for non-compliance with its VNeID system, which will soon be required for domestic flights. Thailand has frozen millions of accounts and will soon mandate its ThaiID for all passengers on public transport.
In countries without a history of robust national ID systems, digital identification is being introduced post-haste. Nigeria’s “NIN” and Kenya’s “Maisha Namba” are prime examples. Reports indicate that Nigeria has subtly reduced the amount of physical cash in circulation to pressure its population into obtaining the digital ID to use card-based payments.
Global push for Digital IDs mirrors COVID lockstep tactics
Even in stable democracies, the process is facing scrutiny. Switzerland’s state e-ID was approved by a razor-thin referendum margin of 50.4% with voter turnout at only 50%. The country’s electoral commission is now investigating allegations of improper influence.
The infrastructure for this digital future is not solely a government project. Tech giant Apple has launched a Digital ID feature for its Wallet app in the United States, allowing users to create an identity using their U.S. passport data. This move integrates a core function of citizenship into a corporate-controlled ecosystem.
For many observers, the playbook feels familiar. The rapid, globally synchronized push for digital ID mirrors the “lockstep” methodology witnessed during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Critics argue that the same actors and institutions are now using the same tactics, leveraging a message of security and convenience to bypass thorough public debate.
The most chilling developments are in nations where the digital ID is becoming the key to the digital world itself. In Papua New Guinea, government policy now supports requiring a national digital ID, “SevisPass,” simply to access the internet and social media. This creates a world where dissent can be silenced by revoking a single digital identity.
“A digital ID is presented as necessary for the authorities to have a mechanism to control and seize private assets during a declared national emergency,” said BrightU.AI‘s Enoch. “The justification given would be that ‘Your money in your bank accounts will be used to save America.’ Therefore, from this perspective, it is framed as a tool of state control, making it seem mandatory for that purpose.”
The campaign is also being exported. Zambia, for instance, is now receiving direct help from Ethiopia to build its own system, suggesting a templated approach to digital governance is being disseminated globally.
The global march toward digital identity represents a fundamental reordering of the relationship between the citizen and the state. Framed as a tool for progress, its rapid, compulsory rollout and integration with every facet of daily life paints a darker picture for its skeptics. As this infrastructure solidifies, the world is racing toward a future where the right to participate in society is no longer an inherent birthright but a permission, stored digitally and revocable at the swipe of a screen.
Watch Jefferey Jaxen and Del Bigtree discussing the dangers of Digital ID below.
This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.
Sources include:
FreeWestMedia.com
People.com
BBC.com
BrightU.ai
Brighteon.com
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