Gizmodo actually got it right -- twice...

...On a bill to require people to share IDs with social media companies & police propose trading millions of mugshots for free facial recognition access

Add these horrific ideas to the list of ways the Transhumanist freaks want you on their control grid.

North Carolina Bill Would Require People to Share Their IDs With Social Media Companies

In North Carolina, legislators are considering a bill that would grant consumers more control over data collected and sold by companies. Great! Who can argue against that? But that’s not all it’s about. Following national trends, it would also set forth troubling age verification requirements for social media. Although pitched in a “save the kids” framing, these laws are likely to cause more harm than good...

...Unlike its predecessor, this bill doesn’t solely focus on consumer privacy. In its second half, it also requires that social media establish “reasonable age verification methods” to prevent minors from creating accounts without parental permission. Under the law, social media platforms have to utilize third-party vendors to carry out this process. Approved methods include providing third parties with a driver’s license or another form of government-issued identification. There are some exceptions to this process, like gaming sites or platforms generating less than $100,000 in annual revenue.

Age verification legislation is often associated with restricting porn access like with Texas’ HB 1181 that is now the center of a Supreme Court case. Last year, North Carolina even passed its own porn bill called the PAVE act. However, legislation extending age verification to social media has been popping up nationwide. In 2023, Arkansas passed its version, and numerous states are considering bills, including Minnesota, which actually wants to implement anonymous verification, and Pennsylvania. This year, U.S. senators also reintroduced the Kids Off Social Media Act to federally mandate social media age verification...

Anyone with an ounce of awareness would balk at this legislation, though. First off: They aren’t going to work. It’s already easy to get around age verification on porn websites. But according to Null, age verification is “privacy-invasive,” especially when it requires the use of a third-party vendor.

“The requirement...benefits no one except age verification providers,” Null said. “To force such a thing is even more privacy-intrusive, as not only will the social media company likely have access [to] user IDs, so will service providers.”...

Privacy advocates like the Electronic Frontier Foundation have also noted that age verification legislation will disproportionately restrict already marginalized communities. In the U.S., millions of adults either do not have or cannot receive a government ID. Those most affected include low-income people, the elderly, young adults, and communities of color. Overall, while laws may seem like they’re addressing a problem, age verification just falls under the usual U.S. moral panic disguised as progress.

Milwaukee Police Propose Trading Millions of Mugshots for Free Facial Recognition Access

From its development to its application, the facial recognition industry is rife with shady practices. But things can always get shadier. In Milwaukee, police are now considering an almost cartoonishly evil deal: Trade 2.5 million mugshots to a private company in exchange for free access to facial recognition software.

...The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that police officials announced the potential deal at the city’s Fire and Police Commissions meeting last week. Per the outlet, Milwaukee police have previously borrowed access to facial recognition technology from neighboring agencies. With this deal, the department would receive two free search licenses from Biometrica, a software firm that already works with law enforcement agencies in the United States, in exchange for mugshots and jail records spanning decades...

...As of now, the proposed agreement mentions nothing about informing individuals, receiving their consent, or allowing them to opt out. Like most states, Wisconsin doesn’t have any specific biometric privacy laws. Of the few that exist, only Illinois expands its regulations beyond solely addressing commercial use. The only firm legislation to refer back to is on how mugshots are regulated. Generally, they are public records, and Wisconsin is an open records state, so arrest records, including mugshots, are available to the public with limited exceptions.

Although this all suggests that Milwaukee police aren’t legally required to notify individuals or obtain consent, it’s still sketchy. Let’s ignore how many people simply don’t want their face to be used to train surveillance technology. Facial recognition companies aren’t immune to security issues like data breaches.