Digital ID as a weapon of war: How smartphone passports will make escape, desertion, and resistance impossible

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The silent coup: How digital IDs, CBDC and EU censorship support Europe’s war mode

Europe, and the EU in particular, is reeling. Not only geopolitically – economically, administratively, and technologically, the continent stands on the cusp of a profound societal modification. While wars rage and tensions with China and Russia escalate, a digital government arsenal is being built in parallel: e-IDs, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), surveillance infrastructures, coupled with new EU censorship and “resilience” institutions. This is no longer a theoretical thought experiment – it is a potential reality with grave consequences.

From covid to permanent infrastructure

Anyone who remembers the lockdowns, digital tracking, and mandatory apps of the pandemic knows that large segments of the population accepted restrictions on daily life with the argument that they were “only temporary, only for protection.” This same technical infrastructure – digital identities, access to health data, and the linking of mobility with permissions – is now being institutionalized. The EU is planning e-ID systems and discussing digital economic instruments that could become reality by 2029/2030. Combined with a digital euro, this would create a system that identifies individuals, controls transactions, and grants or revokes online and offline access.

How digital tools could become a coercive machine

Imagine: a state that needs young men and women for a war. Today, many are fleeing Ukraine, evading military service, deserting in the name of moral self-determination. Tomorrow, the technology could look very different:

The e-ID reliably identifies who is registered where;
The digital euro makes it possible to grant or freeze income or subsidies in a targeted manner;
Rights and entitlements (travel, housing subsidies, job access) can be algorithmically linked to service obligations;
Contact and movement data make it possible to detect absence or escape attempts in real time.

This is not some distant science fiction theory – this is the logical combination of politics and technology once identity, money, and access are digitally and centrally controllable.

“Health sovereignty” and the precedent of vaccine/ID linkage

The pandemic has shown how quickly health policy can be linked to digital access mechanisms: proof of vaccination as a prerequisite for entry, apps as gateways to restaurants, jobs, or travel. If governments argue in the future that “national security” or “resilience” justifies such links, a dilemma arises: what is called health today could mean mobilization or political loyalty tomorrow.

Censorship as a second pillar: The coming “truth ecosystem”

At the same time, a toolbox against “disinformation” is being developed at the EU level. Officially, it is intended to protect democracy. In practice, it creates mechanisms that can filter narratives, delegitimize content, or block channels of dissemination. Linked to digital IDs, this means that anyone who promotes “false” narratives can have their visibility restricted – not only online, but also through the blocking of payment access, travel permits, or government benefits.

Economic and geopolitical drivers

Why this modification? It’s not solely driven by technocratic ambitions. Economic warfare, supply chain restructuring, and strategic rivalry with China are fuelling the upgrading of industry, cyber capabilities, and state control. States are seeking tools to remain capable of acting – or to appear capable – in a turbulent system. This makes them susceptible to the temptation of permanently installing mechanisms of control.

The humanitarian perspective – and the danger of dehumanization

The facts are already visible: record desertion in Ukraine, millions of people fleeing, demobilization trends in war-torn states. Historically, states have often responded to such challenges by making it more difficult for refugees and deserters to flee – but today, technology provides tools that were previously unimaginable. A system that restricts people’s freedom of movement, their access to money, and their access to information transforms citizens into manageable resources.

What needs to be done? Demands that need to be voiced right now.

A digital ID is not a tool for citizens, but a control instrument of the powerful. It promises convenience, but grants access: to freedom of movement, money, and information. Do we need this? No – it’s the system that wants us, not the other way around.
Data minimization and decentralization: Identity and payment data should not be stored in a central repository. Decentralized, data-minimizing solutions are essential.
Right to offline alternatives: Participation in social life should never be tied to consent to digital systems.
Protection against censorship abuse
Strengthen civil society: Independent media, NGOs and whistleblower-friendly mechanisms must be expanded to report abuse.

Conclusion: Prevention is better than surprise

The technological capacity to identify and control people and regulate their economic participation is growing rapidly. Political decisions regarding e-IDs, CBDCs, and information regulation are now pivotal choices with long-term consequences. If Europeans do not loudly and clearly demand the limits of these systems today, they risk that the very tools ostensibly designed to provide convenience and security will one day become the foundation of a mobilization and control machine – one that undermines citizens’ escape routes, resistance, and autonomy.

This is not fear-mongering – this is a call for political vigilance: Before we design essential infrastructures, we need to ensure that they are not capable of undermining freedom and human dignity in times of crisis.

yogaesoteric
November 19, 2025