Digital Identity Concerns in the UK, and Your Opportunity to Speak Up
Stephen Green-Opinion : Feb 24, 2023
Christian Voice UK
Pray the Lord will raise up a good response from those who will speak truth to those in power. Pray for freedom under God to win through. Pray for the fear of God, for humility and wisdom for those who lead us. Or pray the Lord will replace them with men after His own heart.
(United Kingdom) — [Christian Voice UK] The Government has launched a Consultation on Digital Identity. The deadline to respond is Wednesday 1st March 2023. They want to bring under one digital roof all our identity details at present held by different departments. (Image: Pixabay)
They are presenting this move as benign. However, the government departments holding our personal data will also include county councils and outside organisations working for public authorities. What could possibly go wrong?
The role of Government
'Data sharing' could begin in December 2023. But before we look at how to respond, what does the Bible say about personal data, privacy, truthfulness and the role of government?
Biblically, Government is there to maintain peace and security according to God's laws and to promote prosperity. It is there to serve the people, not the elite, according to our Lord's own command. Whether those in power recognise they are there to improve the lives of the people of the UK is a moot point. But Christian Voice – and you – are here to tell them. You can read more on this subject in our articles (on a desktop or laptop they all open automatically in a new tab):
Government is not to lie, 'spin' or 'nudge':
Exodus 20:16 "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. ... 23:1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness."
Furthermore, the individual is a created being, made in the image of God: Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them."
The Psalmist speaks of liberty as a good thing to have: Psalm 119:45 "And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts."
As does the Apostle Paul: 2 Cor 3:17 "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
God's Social Institutions
Indeed the individual created in Gen 1:27 is God's first social institution. He or she is followed in Gen 2:24 by the family, in Gen 4:26 by the Church (or organised worship), and then in Gen 9 by the nation state with the functions given above.
We read of king David's attempt to gather personal information about his people in two places:
2 Sam 24:1 "And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah."
1 Chron 21:1 "And satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel."
There appears to be room there to discuss whether God moved David or permitted satan to provoke David, but suffice to say it was a bad thing to do and brought judgment on the people of Israel.
The Consultation
The Consultation itself is HERE. We note firstly the short consultation period. It started in January and ends in a few days' time. There has been no debate, no discussion. You may not even have heard of it had we not told you.
The Government Minister, Alex Burghart MP, Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, presents his proposal as more convenient and thoroughly beneficial to us the people. But could it be rather more beneficial to government to have all the information they hold about us in one place?
Scope for hacks, leaks and malice
Scroll down in the Consultation to (or do a Ctrl-F search for) 'Annex 4' to find the list of departments who will share data. Many of us will know about logging in the HMRC, but anything you ever said to the Home Office or the Land Registry will be brought together and shared with county, district, community or London borough councils, with the Welsh and Scottish Governments, the Cabinet Office and 'An organisation (for Scotland and Wales 'a person') providing services to a specified public authority'. Who are these? They are not even named. Altogether, quite apart from all the councils and outside organisations and 'person's, not fewer than seventeen government departments are listed. The scope for hacking and leaks of people's data is enormous. And that is even if you, dear reader, trust them in the first place.
We raise this because the departments also include the Ministry of Defence. It was their 77th Brigade which spied on lockdown sceptics during 'the pandemic', seeking out those who told the truth (aka 'spread misinformation') on social media. Also involved in that exercise was the Counter Disinformation Unit of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. See Big Brother Watch HERE. The DfDCM&S is one of the seventeen and will also share the information it holds on us.
We may think it too much of a stretch to imagine a government department withholding services or benefits (however you define those) from those holding the wrong opinions. But that is what they thought in Canada. There, as even the BBC reported, the government told banks to freeze the accounts of anti-lockdown protesters.
How to Respond
You can either complete the Online Questionnaire HERE or email your response to dea-data-sharing@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk. Either way the Cabinet Office will have your name and email address and your response!
You might wish to respond to the questions in the following manner. Answer how your feel led, but note how almost every question assumes the outcome. You are led by the questions to go along with the idea that this is all benign and uncontroversial. You will note that every question asks you to give a reason for your response. One veteran of answering government questionnaires suggests you use this as an opportunity:
He says: The trick is to add comments to the "please give the reason for your answer" box; EVERY comment should start with "I strongly disagree with the introduction of ANY digital identity verification as it infringes every person's right to privacy and freedom; the data to be shared will be exposed to hacking, abuse and errors which will negatively impact our daily lives and ability to be free individuals; ......................" (the specific justification for each answer is then added to the end). When the standard text has been typed once, it can be copied and pasted with the final relevant bit for each question added at the end of it.
PRAY: Pray the Lord will raise up a good response from those who will speak truth to those in power. Pray for freedom under God to win through. Pray for the fear of God, for humility and wisdom for those who lead us. Or pray the Lord will replace them with men after His own heart. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here