Critics, civil liberties advocates, and post-colonial scholars have drawn parallels between modern surveillance technologies—such as mandatory digital ID systems and age-verification mandates—and historical systems of oppression like slavery, colonialism, and racial segregation.

While modern digital technologies are typically framed by governments as tools for security, efficiency, or child safety, critics argue they replicate the underlying structural harms of past regimes. The primary similarities lie in population control, freedom of movement restrictions, social stratification, and the exploitation of bodily data.

Here is how these concepts intersect across key themes:

1. Surveillance and Freedom of Movement

Historical systems heavily relied on documentation to restrict and monitor the movement of subjugated populations.

• Pass Laws & Slave Passes: Under transatlantic slavery and apartheid-era racial segregation (such as the Pass Laws in South Africa), Black individuals were required to carry physical passes to travel, work, or exist in certain zones.

• Digital Bordering: Mandatory digital IDs and age-verification systems create "digital checkpoints." Just as historical passes dictated who could enter physical spaces, digital tracking determines who can access the public square of the internet, financial services, or essential utilities.

• Continuous Tracking: Under slavery and colonialism, surveillance was constant to prevent rebellion or escape. Digital IDs allow state and corporate entities to continuously log geolocation, browsing habits, and biometric data, effectively creating a permanent digital panopticon.

1. Social Stratification and "Digital Castes"

Colonialism and segregation enforced strict hierarchies that determined a person's legal, social, and economic worth based on categorization.

• Creating a Two-Tiered Society: Segregation laws (like Jim Crow in the United States) legally separated society into privileged and disenfranchised classes. Digital IDs risk creating a "digital caste system" where those who lack access to technology, lose their credentials, or are flagged by algorithmic errors are locked out of basic societal participation.

• Technological Exclusion: Historically, marginalized groups were denied documentation or legal status to strip them of rights. Today, mandatory digital verification disproportionately locks out the unbanked, refugees, indigenous populations, and rural communities who lack the required hardware, connectivity, or state-issued documentation.

1. Bodily Commodification and Biometrics

Both colonialism and slavery treated the human body as data to be cataloged, owned, and exploited.

• Biometric Cataloging: Colonial administrators frequently used early biometric techniques—such as fingerprinting in colonial India under British rule—to control and identify native populations deemed untrustworthy.

• Extraction of Bodily Data: Slavery relied on the physical branding and strict inventorying of human bodies. Modern age-verification often utilizes facial analysis technology or biometric scanning, converting an individual's unique biological traits into data commodities that are processed, stored, and controlled by private corporations or the state.

1. Paternalism and the "Civilizing Mission"

Colonial expansion and racial segregation were frequently justified by dominant powers using paternalistic language, claiming oppression was for the "protection" or "improvement" of the subjugated group.

• The Rhetoric of Protection: Colonial powers used the narrative of the "White Man's Burden" or "civilizing missions" to justify stripping indigenous peoples of their autonomy.

• The "Think of the Children" Justification: Modern digital ID and age-verification mandates are heavily pushed under the guise of protecting minors or vulnerable groups from online harm. Critics argue this paternalistic framing is used to manufacture consent for invasive surveillance systems that strip the entire population of their digital autonomy and privacy rights.

I've been planning on watching the Blade movie by renting it on YouTube but in order to pay for it, I have to verify my age. I can't use my debit card to verify my age and I don't have a credit card, I am unsure if it's worth showing Google my provisional licence or my selfie for age estimation.

With all that said, should I just give in and show YouTube my ID or face or find somewhere else to watch the Blade movies like Prime?

Just found out that WhatsApp is using AI to summarize private DMs, and it feels like a massive privacy breach.

How safe is this really? I’ve been searching everywhere for a way to turn it off, but it looks like there’s no option to opt out. Anyone else concerned about this?

What about other messaging services that are now including their own un-opt-outable AI features.

Selling old Mac and need to ease data .Is using Apple method truly safe or is the another recommend method? Are there any new cases of data retrieval you have seen?

Are my encrypted zip files safe, secure from being read by anybody (governments, employees of Mega) on Mega's cloud storage?

I hear different opinions on Mega for cloud storage and I have been using Mega for years. Allegedly e3ee zero knowledge, yet Mega is in New Zealand which founded and is part of the five eyes. I do not store anything illegal on Mega, but I do store my password encrypted (complex very strong password) zip files (two such files) that contain info on my accounts and their passwords). I don't share any links to my Mega files and I do not import any links shared with me.

Hello, I am looking for a doorbell camera, ideally one in an ecosystem of other security cameras, that allows local storage and is end-to-end encrypted. I currently have Blink cameras with local storage, but the video files on the thumb drive are not encrypted and there is no option to encrypt them or to auto-wipe the drive after X amount of time.

I understand that Blink is owned by Amazon and this is not the ideal setup; I have seen comments here saying that even the locally stored files pass through Amazon servers but I'm not sure if that's true or not. I want something where having physical access to the storage drive doesn't automatically grant access to the videos on it because they would require a key to decrypt, and I would like to automatically wipe the drive every 24 hours or so.

I do not want to pay a subscription fee to use my own hardware. Blink was very reasonably priced, but that's probably because Amazon takes a loss in exchange for trying to harvest your data/collect subscription fees.

I've seen people recommend Ubiquiti but their doorbell cam is close to $300 which is a bit out of my price range right now. Not sure if they have all the features I'm looking for because I balked at the price tag.

Does anything like what I'm looking for exist? It feels like a simple ask but maybe I'm the crazy one.

Is there a request you can make for them to delete all the data they have on you , related to your chats? Or will they just say "ok" then dissapear the chats from your account and they keep them in some server forever

I made a post on a romanian sub about how draconian the EU's KIDS Act is, why people shouldn't support it and how to fight back by signing the Stop Killing The Internet initiative, and got flamed. They called me a russian bot, propagandist and a couple other names xD. I didn't expect much but dayum.

This is beyond a joke why is ChatGPT complying with ridiculous mandate here in australia ? I’ve been using it for years and now suddenly they gimped by account to “teenager” status until I submit ID and selfie. Is there a way around it? Big tech really needs to fight back against this

Instead of just turning them all on or off (usually with a painful 5 min clicking competition to unclick all vendors manually) can I accept all cookies while using Ublock?

If someone can explain it would be great!

I mean, are my queries truly not linked to my IP address or any other related information?

Is there reliable data regarding this topic?

Regards

Hi there.
My apologies if the post isn't flaired properly.
Anyway, I'm moving away from google/outlook after years of using (yes, I know - better late than never) and I'm really torn between mailbox and posteo mails (the cheapest ones, 1e per month).

Anyway, as I would rather not let my somehow limited (they both allow 3 free aliases) email to leak to some somehow suspicious websites (sometimes one has to use them) I decided I would like to use some sort of masking them - less against the people, more about bots/scripts running throu it.

Which of the services I've mentioned in the title would you use? I'm willing to get the free bundles, and while I don't plan to use the masqueraded mails as my main way of communication (ie no important mail going throu them) I still would prefer if they would be somehow safe from the law enforcement (ie there still would have to be a warrant for them etc)

Firefox relay requires the firefox account - which isn't a problem, I do tend to use it on mobile and my laptop.

Simple Login has limit of 10 if one doesn't want to use it

Aliases in posteo work like that [my_email_address+some_random_name_chosen_by_me@posteo.net](mailto:my_email_address+some_random_name_chosen_by_me@posteo.net) when obviously the thing after the + sign is somehow a random name that I make up (most likely the address of the website I use it on so it would be easier to find out who leaked it).

What do you guys use, do you have any tips and tricks about that that you think someone should know? I havent migrated yet

Cheers!

I thought about doing the following:

-primary icloud email that cant be changed- only used inside apple ecosystem, never used for anything "outside"

-using multiple of the up to 9 free aliases to separate all accounts i use by category. For example a professional one for work stuff or bank and financial things, a entertainment one for such things and so on

-using 2fa and password manager on apple, and 2fa on any accounts that support it with their own service

-names of aliases diversified enough its not easy to guess or social engineer the primary, no same passwords used anywhere

is there anything more i could do for security when using icloud of all things?

i already fucked up by using the name i wanted to use for professional shenanigans on the primary accidentally because i didnt know the primary one is permanent and unchangeable.

Any other tips?

I'm talking for the average tech-unsavvy Joe.

I'm trying to help some older family of mine with their accounts. It's all way more confusing to them then it back in the day. Before, emails used the "Type in your password and answer a few verification code" method. That's been done away with for years now. Google is pushing biometrics and passkeys.

I tried to get biometrics to work, but I can't get fingerprints to reliably scan.

I’m not asking for a person’s name or business here. I’m trying to understand what job title or type of professional I mean to hire for personal IT + privacy work. I want to hire someone who can get with me to figure out my protection and privacy goals + IT needs, sets me up, and then I assume I’ll need upkeep from time to time. For example: I want to disable invasive tech practices like smart tvs and place boundaries on my home wifi gateway
1. Job title/description
2. Ways to source this type of professional
3. Certifications to look for?

Trying to be as smart-minded as I can so I can avoid hiring a scam artist.

Im asking cuz i just fucking had to deal with this shit and me not being capeble to anny nsfw stuff on reddit cuz of that stupid shit, and how likely is it to ever be fucking removed cuz ain't no way im making a photo of my id or a scan of my face for fuck sake

The federal privacy commissioner is examining a large-scale Crime Stoppers data breach that exposed nearly 1.5 million Canadian tips, prompting some local branches to pause the program amid security and safety concerns for tipsters.

Despite the breach falling outside their mandate, Vito Pilieci, spokesperson for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, said the agency has offered “expertise and guidance” in the aftermath of the breach, and is seeking more information from Navigate360 “before determining next steps.”

The breach, unprecedented in both scope and severity, according to experts who spoke to the Star, could render tipsters vulnerable to offences like identity theft and fraud, and in some cases, risk their public safety.

Reddit users can read the full story for free here. You won't hit the paywall.

I've read a lot about alternatives to Gmail but there is one thing I haven't quite understood yet - is it worth moving away from Gmail when nearly all my contacts use Gmail?

I think that from the moment the recipient gets my email, Gmail will be able to read it and any resemblance of privacy will be gone but I might be wrong.