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Because without thoroughly-enshrined protections for identities, an e-ID system provides an avenue for the government to effectively de-person undesirables at will, by removing their ability to use banks, sign contracts, access healthcare, etc.

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Isn't that what permit of residency and citizenship already is? Without legal residency or citizenship all those things become hard/impossible/illegal. It's not personhood, it's citizenship (or a permit of residency). It's the job of governments everywhere?

US government is deporting undesirables at will right now without any of that. On the other side of the world, where id is mandatory and e-id is used for everything that makes sense, the city hall gives free heroin injections to addicts as a last resort therapy and provides for illegal/undocumented homeless people so they don't shit on the street.

Neither of those prevents somebody from stealing bicycles zo.

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