The Incoming Nightmare of Online Verification Part 2

In my previous article I discussed how online identity verification threatens internet anonymity and causes harm to vulnerable groups. In this second article I will focus more on the serious security risks posed by online identity verification.

Online identity verification requires and encourages online companies to collect large amounts of sensitive data in very large datasets. These attract hackers and other bad actors. For example, shortly after the implementation of the UK Online Safety Act, hackers were able to gain access to sensitive documents and information belonging to UK Discord users that had been collected due to the requirements of the Act.

Forcing people to constantly hand over sensitive identity documents via the internet and hope for the best is simply terrible from a security standpoint. As someone who grew up doing the 2000s and 2010s, I was constantly told not to do this as it carries a genuine risk of identity theft and serious harm, yet now I’m being asked to do it simply to access basic information and communication. This is despite already having given my personal details to my internet provider when connecting my apartment to the internet.

When your identity is directly linked to your social media accounts, governments will inevitably demand access to data and information about the accounts of specific people. That doesn’t just include the government of the country you live in; for example, what is to stop the Chinese government from demanding a social media company hand over all the data of those who verified their identity with a Chinese passport or driver’s license? Even if such people are no longer located in China and have filed for asylum in another country?

I knew various students in university from China, many of whom feel afraid to discuss politics openly even though they were no longer in China. What is to stop the Chinese government from demanding information on someone they simply do not like, whether it is an activist criticising the Chinese government or a foreign politician deemed to be ‘acting against the interests of the Chinese government’?

Online identity verification policies in Western countries have already inspired similar developments in authoritarian regimes such as the current Russian administration. The Russian government is planning to require online identity verification for any content that the Russian government does not like, and even wishes to install a government app on all phones in Russia.

Although such a move would have invited significant criticism from the West in the past, there has been very little push back these days due to the implementation of similar policies in the West. If Western governments were to criticise Russia’s policy, it would also invite people to critique similar polices in Western countries. It is as if we are competing with repressive regimes to implement repressive policies.

Online identity verification requirements also create significant opportunities for scammers and bad actors. For example, fake websites can be easily created to collect personal ID and sensitive documents which they can either sell on the dark web, blackmail you for money, or even blackmail a high level corporate or government official for access to sensitive information or to do their bidding.

If they create a fake website that revolves around a stigmatised activity or weird fetish, eventually someone important will visit it. This creates serious risks in terms of national security and the integrity of government and corporate officials.

At the end of the day, online identity verification requirements trade freedom and privacy for less security, and create an incoming nightmare for individuals and society. It is important to fight the implementation of such policies to help ensure our freedom, privacy and security for ourselves and for future generations.