Quietly and systematically, Google is testing age verification and digital ID in the Internet surveillance state

The invisible lockdown of the Internet. When age verification becomes the ticket to a controlled digital world

The internet was once a place of freedom. A space where people could express their opinions without having to use their real names. A place for experimentation, protest, for the unspeakable, the unthinkable, the socially undesirable – protected by anonymity. This era is coming to an end. And hardly anyone notices.

Australia is currently testing what appears to be “age verification technology,” but is actually the blueprint for a digitally identifiable society. Google is on board – a company that already knows more about us than most governments. The experiment is technically sophisticated, legally sound – and politically highly dangerous.

Because it’s changing the foundation. What was once a voluntary login screen is now mandatory. Anyone who wants to surf the internet in the future will have to prove their identity. And for what? To protect children? A noble goal – but one that’s now mutating into a Trojan horse for a total surveillance infrastructure.

What is technically possible, becomes politically feasible

Biometrics, ID data, facial recognition – all of this has long been available. The next step? The linking of opinion and identity, of behavior and profile, of clicks and consequences. Who can guarantee that politically “unpopular” content won’t eventually be linked to disadvantages in real life?

And while authoritarian states have long done this, democratic countries are now following suit – not through coercion, but through “security measures.” The coercion is creeping in. Those who don’t scan their ID are left out. Those who stay out remain silent.

The price is the truth

When anonymity dies, so does what it enables: the courageous voice of the minority. The exposure of the truth by whistleblowers. The personal account of a victim. The anger of a youth who finds no place.

Digital identity isn’t a neutral advance. It’s an instrument of power. And the more closely its introduction is linked to innocuous terms like “child protection” or “community safety,” the harder it is to put the genie back in the bottle.

The free society should decide

We stand at a digital crossroads. The infrastructure for a fully transparent society is almost complete. Its rationale sounds reasonable. Its benefits seem real. Its price is invisible but final: the loss of the freedom to speak without permission.

Do we want an internet that becomes an extension of the state – or a digital space where people can be who they are without having to prove it?

The answer will determine not only technology, but also the democracy of the future.

Palantir, IRS and Elon Musk: The new digital surveillance regime is emerging

Amid growing concerns about government surveillance, the power of tech companies, and the increasing merging of Silicon Valley and government, a new project is taking shape – largely unnoticed by the public. Elon Musk’s digital strategy team DOGE and the controversial data analytics company Palantir are working closely with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Their shared goal: a so-called “mega-API” that will consolidate all of the country’s tax data into a central, AI-powered cloud infrastructure.

What at first glance appears to be a technical infrastructure project raises profound questions upon closer inspection: Who controls the interface between government, technology, and personal identity? How secure is data when it becomes centralized and algorithmically exploitable? And why, of all companies, does Palantir – known for its military ties – get access to the American people’s most sensitive financial data?

A hint from sources close to Musk was all it took, and it arrived: a reference to Elon sycophant Mario Nawfal, who gleefully reported that Elon’s DOGE had just entered into a partnership with Palantir – the AI data giant co-founded by Peter Thiel. The goal: to help the IRS build a massive “mega-API.”

What is a mega-API? Imagine a giant, data-hungry super-connector that connects all of the tax authority’s computers, databases, and systems. Decades-old, scattered tax data will be accessible centrally for the first time.

For three days, Palantir technical teams, DOGE executives, and IRS engineers have been sitting in a digital “war room” to modernize a system that, until now, sent faxes as if 1997 had never ended. It’s like giving a flip phone the intelligence of ChatGPT – except in this case, ChatGPT works for the IRS.

WIRED reports: Corcos (DOGE) plans to build an API “to rule them all” to make IRS data accessible across cloud platforms. A centralized reading interface that grants full access to all data – and is potentially tamper-evident.

At the same time, DOGE is demanding the names of its best engineers from IRS employees. Dozens are expected to arrive in Washington to “tear apart” the existing system and replace it with the new AI API within 30 days. Palantir is also involved in the implementation.

This is Elon Musk’s first project that hasn’t been rejected by any faction of the DC Uniparty. No wonder: Palantir already has contracts with the military, intelligence agencies, and security agencies.

Alternative media had previously warned several times:

• Access to government data is the goal.
• Monetization is achieved through exclusive AI contracts.
• The result is a surveillance state legitimized by “national security.”

The public outrage over USAID was anticipated – as a starting signal for DOGE to break into deeper data structures. The “solution” to the crisis had long been in preparation – a solution never intended for our benefit, but rather to expand the power of its architects.

We’ve seen it time and again: After every crisis, the population accepts the “solution,” which actually means the next level of control. Airport scans, body searches, digital IDs, mandatory mask wearing, never-read privacy policies, real-time monitoring of our movements – none of this is based on freedom.

Now we’re being told again: “We will use AI to end corruption and inefficiency.” The price? Total traceability. Every tax dollar, every identity, every movement linked. Your face, your W-2, your Social Security number, your browser profile – unified in the mega-API.

“Trust us, citizens. The new AI system ensures efficiency – and for you. Simply click ‘I agree’ on your next digital tax return.”

And if you forgot to pay a fee? No problem. The ATM refuses service. Your passport can’t be renewed. Access to your account? It’s blocked.

Artificial intelligence to streamline administration may be well-intentioned, but the real tipping point lies at the interface between DHS and IRS. This is where it will be decided whether data control becomes social control.

After all, peace activists don’t build bombs. And those who believe in freedom don’t develop digital domestic weapons that can be turned against their own people at any time.

Great Britain as a test field: judicial reform brings facial recognition, digital ID, abolition of traditional court proceedings and comprehensive data control

What begins in Great Britain does not end at its borders.

The following “recommendations” from the British Times Crime and Justice Commission formally only concern the United Kingdom – but they are part of a global trend: facial recognition, digital ID, the abolition of traditional court proceedings, and comprehensive data control. What is discussed today in the UK will become law tomorrow in a different form in Brussels, Berlin, or Paris. Because the central elements – surveillance, control, automation – are the same everywhere. Anyone who believes this is a special British issue underestimates how internationally such agendas have long been coordinated.

Goodbye jury trials, hello digital ID: 10 “recommendations” from the Crime and Justice Commission

The Times Crime and Justice Commission was set up last year with the mandate to rethink the future of the police and the justice system – in light of knife crime, a shoplifting epidemic, the growing threat of cybercrime, concerns about police culture, court backlogs, problems with legal aid and overcrowded prisons.

And recently, the long-heralded, glorious day has arrived, when the results were presented. The white smoke rises, and we can now marvel at the fruit of their long labors.

So how can everything be put right again?

Let’s take a look at the complete list – with a few helpful notes:

1. Introduction of a universal digital ID system to combat fraud, curb illegal immigration and prevent identity theft

Digital ID for everyone! It’s supposed to solve every problem! This topic has been discussed ad nauseam; it was obvious it would come up here.

2. Targeted monitoring of repeat offenders and crime hotspots using data analysis to combat shoplifting, robbery and antisocial behavior

This means surveillance. “Data” refers to your personal information, which they receive from virtual communication networks and other platforms.

3. Use of real-time facial recognition and other AI tools to increase police efficiency and improve performance

Here, too, it was clear: facial recognition had to be included. What exactly “other AI tools” mean remains vague – and that’s probably exactly what’s intended. “Efficiency” is the catchphrase that carries everything here – especially to appeal to the tech-savvy audience.

4. Introduction of mandatory licensing for police officers, with recertification every five years, to improve culture and promote professionalism

This is a fig leaf for the “other side.” Up until this point, it was all about more power for the police and the judiciary – this simulates a bit of accountability and is intended to make the whole thing appear balanced.

5. Establishment of victim support centers with a uniform digital case file as a consistent source of information and advice

Like point 1 – another application to promote digital identity. Practically incorporated as a selling point.

6. Introduction of a new intermediate court with one judge and two prosecutors to accelerate the administration of justice and shorten the duration of proceedings

It’s all about abolishing jury trials. This has been planned for years, and they keep finding new excuses to push it through.

7. A “common sense” approach to sentencing, with greater transparency on prison terms, incentives for rehabilitation, and increased use of home detention

What this actually means is unclear. The term “common sense” in such documents should always arouse suspicion. The same applies to “extended use of house arrest.”

8. Increased autonomy and accountability for prison directors with a focus on rehabilitation, and the establishment of a college for correctional officers and probation officers

What this means exactly remains vague. It could mean more work programs in prisons – similar to those in private prisons in the US – or it could simply be a meaningless phrase interspersed with the more important points.

9. Restricting virtual communication for those under 16 to protect against criminals and extremely violent or sexual content

Completely predictable – and equally dishonest. As has been noted countless times: In practice, this regulation results in every user having to verify their age. So, goodbye, online anonymity.

What’s astonishing is that this report, supposedly compiled over a year ago, fits so perfectly into the current political debate about young people. This leaves three possibilities:

• The report was adjusted at the last minute to fit into current discussions.
• Everything was planned in advance to push through a specific agenda.
• It’s all “pure coincidence”…….

…….and we will probably never know which of these is true.

10. Raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 years, in line with new neuroscientific findings

And we end with an inconspicuous remark whose deeper meaning is yet to be determined. It could be a friendly counterbalance to the prevailing harshness – or a Trojan horse for something darker. We’ll see.

So, that’s the list. And that’s how we’re supposedly going to fix everything.

We’re abolishing jury trials. We’re eliminating anonymity on the internet and regulating access to virtual communication. We’re introducing facial recognition technology. And we’re making digital identity mandatory.

In short: The eagerly awaited “recommendations” amount to exactly what has been prepared for years. No surprises. No detours. Just the same old agenda – now with a new veneer.

Some may now object: “So what? This Commission has no power.” A legitimate objection – if power hadn’t long since become an illusion.

The Lord Chancellor has already indicated that some of these proposals are likely to become law soon.

Shall we guess which one?

What appears to be a reform is in reality a massive overhaul of the rule of law. Juries are disappearing, personal data is being weaponized, anonymity is being criminalized – all under the guise of efficiency, security, and “common sense.

Great Britain may be the pioneer, but the blueprint has long been in the drawers of the EU Commission. Anyone who still believes these developments only affect other countries will soon wake up – with a digital ID in their hand and an algorithm breathing down their necks.

 

yogaesoteric
April 16, 2025