Digital ID Wallet: the health pass of tomorrow will control your entire life
Before the Covid-19 epidemic has slowed the world down for almost two years now, no one would ever have thought that their urge to be distracted in certain ways should be justified by anything. Yet at present, if you want to go to the cinema, play sports in a club or simply go to a restaurant, you must show your white paw in the form of your health pass. Without it, the doors remain closed. A situation which, as the government has repeatedly stated, should end the day the virus is under control. However, there is in the way of doing things a feeling of first step towards a possible generalization of this system, with as a spark, the concept of the Digital ID Wallet or digital identity wallet.
Wallet it be!
A few months ago, Thales indeed presented in a video one of its latest innovations bearing the friendly name of Digital ID Wallet.
In the latter, we share the daily life of Lucie, a young woman of her time who seems to be unable to do anything without her phone. We are then told that wherever she goes, this digital identity wallet will simplify his life by functioning as a sort of health pass with extended powers. In Lucie’s world, each of her actions asks her to justify her identity and she does so by scanning her face in the app. This done, a QR code is generated and then allows him to do so. So she can show it when she takes an exam, sees a doctor, takes a taxi, hires a car or walks into a bar to justify her age.
Thales explains to us that all this ” gives citizens full control over their personal data, with the freedom to decide what information they share, when and with whom they want to share it “. This is in itself rather true with the QR codes it shows. But for this to be possible, it must initially share this same information with Thalès and therefore with those who can call on this service, such as the government. The drift is therefore not far.
With just one click!
One of the originalities of this practical Digital ID Wallet is indeed that you can remotely deactivate certain options contained in the application. At random, means of payment, a driver’s license, social security coverage and any other right having a link with the government which could therefore, with a small click and in real time, grant or suspend it to you. It all looks very close to an episode of Black mirror or, closer to us (and more real), to China and its social credit still in the test phase but on course to be put into circulation soon. ” Impossible with us! You will certainly want to shout as you read these lines. Yet, silently, this is what seems to be taking shape across Europe. In June 2021, the European Commission has in fact confirmed the creation, for all Europeans, of a Digital Identity Wallet. Does the name remind you of anything? Yes, you too must find that disturbing. It is hard to believe a coincidence, knowing that the news was announced by the Commissioner of the Internal Market Thierry Breton, ex-CEO of the ATOS group. A company that merged in May 2021 with Thalès to give birth to Athea, which describes itself as ” the European solution to sovereign Big Data “. Still a coincidence, do you think? Even the most naive among us will find it hard to believe.
And if you think it would be enough to throw your phone away to get by, then you should know that the Swedish company DSruptive Subdermals has managed to develop a microchip to slide under the skin of your hand which can contain your health pass. A little operation later and you will finally be in good standing. In a world where freedom will still exist? Not sure.
