Freedom and privacy are cornerstones of any democratic society. In New Zealand, recent discussions led by the Taxpayers Union and the Free Speech Union have brought urgent attention to two critical issues: the rise of digital ID systems and the increasing control over children's exposure to the digital world. Both developments raise serious questions about the direction our country is heading and the kind of future we want for our children.
The Reality Behind Digital ID
When you show your ID at a pub, the process is simple and private. The bouncer checks your face against the card, confirms your age, and that's it. No record is kept. You walk in, and the interaction disappears. This is how physical ID works: it confirms who you are in the moment without creating a lasting digital footprint.
Digital ID systems work very differently. Once you verify yourself digitally, your data is stored, logged, and cross-referenced. This information does not vanish after the moment of verification. Instead, it becomes a permanent record that can be accessed and used later. The problem is not just about today's use but what happens as the system grows.
History shows that systems designed for one purpose rarely stay limited to that purpose. What starts as age verification can quickly expand to control access, enforce compliance, or even punish individuals for actions deemed unacceptable by those in power. Examples from recent years include:
The Taxpayers Union’s alarm is justified. Every New Zealander who values freedom and privacy should be concerned about the unchecked growth of digital ID systems.
Children and the Digital World: The Push for Control
Alongside the digital ID debate is the growing concern about children's exposure to the Internet and social media. Governments and organisations want to protect children from harmful content, but the methods chosen often involve building restrictive systems that limit everyone's freedom.
Australia's approach is a clear example. It uses broad, blunt tools to control what children can access online. This includes mandatory age verification systems and content filters that affect all users, not just children. While the intention is to protect, the result can be overreach, limiting free speech and access to information for everyone.
When you show your ID at a pub, the process is simple and private. The bouncer checks your face against the card, confirms your age, and that's it. No record is kept. You walk in, and the interaction disappears. This is how physical ID works: it confirms who you are in the moment without creating a lasting digital footprint.
Digital ID systems work very differently. Once you verify yourself digitally, your data is stored, logged, and cross-referenced. This information does not vanish after the moment of verification. Instead, it becomes a permanent record that can be accessed and used later. The problem is not just about today's use but what happens as the system grows.
History shows that systems designed for one purpose rarely stay limited to that purpose. What starts as age verification can quickly expand to control access, enforce compliance, or even punish individuals for actions deemed unacceptable by those in power. Examples from recent years include:
- Suspension of bank accounts without clear reasons
- Limited access to online platforms based on behaviour
- Limits on travel or participation in public life due to digital records
The Taxpayers Union’s alarm is justified. Every New Zealander who values freedom and privacy should be concerned about the unchecked growth of digital ID systems.
Children and the Digital World: The Push for Control
Alongside the digital ID debate is the growing concern about children's exposure to the Internet and social media. Governments and organisations want to protect children from harmful content, but the methods chosen often involve building restrictive systems that limit everyone's freedom.
Australia's approach is a clear example. It uses broad, blunt tools to control what children can access online. This includes mandatory age verification systems and content filters that affect all users, not just children. While the intention is to protect, the result can be overreach, limiting free speech and access to information for everyone.
Requiring a digital ID for children means a digital ID for everyone
The challenge is balancing protection with freedom. Children need guidance and education to navigate the digital world safely. But building ever-more restrictive systems risks creating a digital environment where privacy is compromised, and free speech is curtailed.
Digital ID and Children's Freedom
These two issues — digital ID and controlling children's digital exposure — are linked. Both involve increasing surveillance and control over individuals' digital lives. Both risk creating a society where privacy is diminished, and freedom is limited.
For children, this is especially concerning. They are growing up in a world where their digital identity may be tracked and controlled from an early age, and then for the rest of their lives. This can affect their ability to express themselves freely and explore ideas without fear of permanent records or restrictions.
Parents and communities must be part of the conversation. Instead of relying solely on restrictive systems, we should focus on:
- Teaching digital literacy and critical thinking
- Encouraging open dialogue about online risks and freedoms
- Developing privacy-respecting tools that empower users rather than control them
Raise Freeranger children
When I was a child in the 1960s, playgrounds were not gentle places. Words flew. Teasing happened. Arguments erupted. And we learned resilience the hard way. We used to chant, over and over:
"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me!"
That was psychological armour.
We learned that words only have power if you hand it to them. We learned how to argue, how to push back, how to walk away, and how to tell an adult when something truly crossed the line.
Children do not become resilient by being wrapped in cotton wool. They become resilient by learning how to endure and overcome discomfort, disagreement, and even offence, with guidance from parents who are present, engaged, and available.
What New Zealand Needs Now
New Zealand is at a crossroads — do we follow our trans-Tasman neighbour? The decisions made today about digital ID and children's digital rights will shape the future of freedom and privacy in our country.
We need a proper adult conversation that includes all voices — parents, educators, privacy experts, and civil society. This conversation should focus on:
- Clear limits on how digital ID data is collected, stored, and used
- Strong protections against misuse and mission creep
- Balanced approaches to protecting children online without restricting everyone's rights
- Transparent policies that build trust rather than fear
So yes, protect children
- But do it by raising strong, grounded, resilient freerangers.
- Do it by strengthening families, not databases.
- Do it by teaching discernment, not fear.
- And above all, resist the lie that safety must come at the cost of liberty.
But we must say no to any kind of digital ID now, before the systems are locked in.
A picture from my early years. Fising while in Sweden
living the life of a fearless Freeranger!
Gary Moller is a Health Practitioner who is focused on addressing the root causes of ill health or poor performance. This article was first published HERE
Gary Moller is a Health Practitioner who is focused on addressing the root causes of ill health or poor performance. This article was first published HERE
3 comments:
I totally agree. We must not follow the path that Australia is on and that the UK is proposing. 3 million people in the UK signed a petition against Digital ID and we must fight it in the same way here in NZ. Children can be taught about and restricted from the internet by their parents. That's what parents are for.
If you want to protect children, start by banning sexually pornographic content and fining companies who don’t block New Zealand users from accessing it in the same way Australia is threatening to fine social media companies.
Before you know it, cards won't be accepted and everyone will have to produce a digital ID on a smartphone.
The manufacturers of the aforesaid will be delighted. Oldies and other digitally challenged people like yours truly who can barely manage the simplest Nokia will be forced to purchase an expensive gizmo they can't operate properly.
I've been through this situation already when we were cooling our heels in Antalya (Turkey) waiting for MIQ clearance to get back to NZ after 17 years in the Middle East in 2021 - our printed COVID19 passes drew headshaking and relegating to the back of the queue from security personnel when we entered some establishments while people who simply flashed their passes on their smartphone screens went straight through.
A new form of discrimination is on the way........ but as it affects mostly older folks it will probably not matter a damn!
Post a Comment
Thank you for joining the discussion. Breaking Views welcomes respectful contributions that enrich the debate. Please ensure your comments are not defamatory, derogatory or disruptive. We appreciate your cooperation.