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	<title>technology Archives - Safe Tech International</title>
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	<title>technology Archives - Safe Tech International</title>
	<link>https://safetechinternational.org/category/technology/</link>
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	<item>
		<title>List of Resources on Children and Technology</title>
		<link>https://safetechinternational.org/list-of-resources-on-children-and-technology/</link>
					<comments>https://safetechinternational.org/list-of-resources-on-children-and-technology/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Nov 2025 01:31:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cell phones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[children]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Connection with nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital detox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[telecoms industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mental health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[screenfree living]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://safetechinternational.org/?p=31823</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Collated by Safe Tech International &#124; Image by&#160;Wolfgang Eckert&#160;from&#160;Pixabay Following up on the Unplug to Uplift webinar we&#8217;ve assembled a List of Resources on some of the adverse impacts of technology on children and ways to mitigate the harms. Many people can sense that tech and over reliance on screens negatively impact our children, and...]]></description>
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<p>Collated by Safe Tech International | Image by&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/anaterate-2348028/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=2550268">Wolfgang Eckert</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=2550268">Pixabay</a></p>



<p>Following up on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7yUqmAgTno">Unplug to Uplift webina</a><a href="https://safetechinternational.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=62918fe9a1393b79c7030d636&amp;id=502f791a40&amp;e=cb2d191ca9">r</a> we&#8217;ve assembled a <a href="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Resources-for-Unplug-to-Uplift-Final.pdf">List of Resources</a> on some of the adverse impacts of technology on children and ways to mitigate the harms.</p>



<p>Many people can sense that tech and over reliance on screens negatively impact our children, and studies and data increasingly corroborate this felt sense. But many people still don&#8217;t know that <em>wireless radiation</em> (RF) from smart phones, tablets etc. <em>also</em> adversely affects the mental and physical well-being of children.</p>



<p>This list of resources includes <em>both</em> mechanisms of harm – screentime and wireless radiation. </p>



<p>Sadly, according to and excellent <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/only-1-in-10-children-regularly-play-outside-and-its-harming-their-health-5937097?utm_source=Health&amp;src_src=Health&amp;utm_campaign=health-2025-11-29&amp;src_cmp=health-2025-11-29&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;est=JOUbnfyCZG3Hne8ROEqU6vHylPK1QsdOhWw0%2F5zO0ubbBkYP%2FmHOsG1HRaLnzQ%3D%3D">Epoch Times article</a> only 1 in 10 children play outside even once a week, choosing rather to spend their time indoors on a screen. Our kids are missing out on developing essential life skills while their physical and mental health decline. <br><br>We trust you will find these resources useful and will consider incorporating some of what you learn into your own life and that of your children. After all, our kids are our future. </p>



<p><a href="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Resources-for-Unplug-to-Uplift-Final.pdf">List of Resources on Children and Technology</a></p>



<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7yUqmAgTno">Unplug to Uplift Webinar Recording</a> </p>



<p><a href="https://substack.com/home/post/p-179951028">Unplug to Uplift: Aching for a Tech Safe Society </a></p>



<p><a href="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Speakers-for-the-Unplug-to-Uplift.pdf">List of Speakers on the Unplug to Uplift Webinar </a> (List includes their websites, books, Substacks etc. </p>



<p>For up-to-date resources, info, and commentary on all-things-tech please check out <br><a href="https://substack.com/@patriciaburke">Patricia&#8217;s Substack for Safe Tech International</a>.  </p>
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		<item>
		<title>Satiety Cove: My Precious &#8220;Dumb&#8221; Home</title>
		<link>https://safetechinternational.org/satiety-cove-my-precious-dumb-home/</link>
					<comments>https://safetechinternational.org/satiety-cove-my-precious-dumb-home/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 21:33:13 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Connection with nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[consciousness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[datamining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dumb Home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eco-civilization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wireless marketing]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://safetechinternational.org/?p=31816</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[By Kate Kheel from Safe Tech International Sitting here at home tonight, internet service down, time expands. And so does my appreciation for this stunning home I have been blessed with. This home speaks to my heart and to the heart of almost all who visit. It’s an answer in the form of a dwelling...]]></description>
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<p>By Kate Kheel from Safe Tech International</p>



<p>Sitting here at home tonight, internet service down, time expands. And so does my appreciation for this stunning home I have been blessed with. This home speaks to my heart and to the heart of almost all who visit. It’s an answer in the form of a dwelling place to the yearning that is welling up inside so many of us for simplicity, nature, harmony, and peace.</p>



<p>The “smart world” with its tech-buzzing homes insists on faster, evermore connected, AI, and “convenience”. Life is reduced to services delivered through buttons and buzzes, devices and data. But much of humanity is saturated to the point of indigestion. The thought of even one more “byte” is repugnant.</p>



<p>Many people don’t realize they’re over-consuming. It’s the norm, what everyone does. But when people enter this home, my sanctuary, I sense in them a palpable sigh of relief. Time slows down, and they begin to see once again: Irregular shapes and textures, the varied forms of nature, replace insistent angular forms and synthetic materials of mass-produced homes. Heavy stones reminiscent of times long gone, reclaimed wood, and boards from fallen trees, each one conveying a unique life story, all meld together to form a tapestry inside that reflects the varied textures, colors, and forms of the exquisite and open surrounding landscape. This home feels different, strangely different, yet so familiar. Entering this home is not stepping out of nature but rather transitioning to an enclosed nest that&nbsp;<strong><em>is</em></strong>&nbsp;nature.</p>



<p>Designed around the natural sunlight of the seasons, the passive solar orientation with a wall full of windows on the south side of the home provides sunlight in the winter throughout the day. And in the summer, when the sun is high in the sky, an overhang above the windows ensures the home stays temperate. So, the energy required to heat and cool this home are but the finishing touches. The bulk of the “work” has been accomplished by nature — a stark contrast to “smart” homes, which ignore the natural world and superimpose draconian measures to replace what has heedlessly been discarded.</p>



<p>The workmanship of this home is exquisite. It’s difficult to find words for the perfection of the imperfections. Edges and corners are seamlessly and intentionally woven together without harsh, machine-generated definition. Colors that mimic nature blend, complementing one another with no single one claiming sovereignty.</p>



<p>In typical homes, the dulling of our senses is only surpassed by the assault on our health from toxic materials, not to mention the embodied energy needed to manufacture all the so-called “smart” features of newer homes. But with this home, enormous care has been taken to ensure that all materials (to the degree possible) are free of toxins and ethically sourced. Solid oak doors reclaimed from an estate in Connecticut lend beauty while escaping early retirement to a landfill. Kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities give seasoned barn wood a new lease on life.</p>



<p>Thankfully&nbsp;<em>Satiety Cove</em>&nbsp;is situated far from cell towers and for the time being has not been targeted by Telecom for a 5G “small cell”. Minimalistic but wise use of technology untethers this home from the energy grid, smart meters, and the attendant electrical pollution. No dimmer switches, internet of things appliances, or other such gadgets that proffer&nbsp;<em>far&nbsp;</em>more than they offer.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Outside, chirping birds replace the incoherent sounds and electromagnetic frequencies so unavoidable in urban living. A tree, brimming with activity and life, lovingly offers herself as a dwelling place for squirrels and other little critters. Why on earth are humans trading these treasures of nature for radiating antennas outside of homes?</p>



<p>We all consume…it’s a reality of being alive. The only question is how to do so causing the least harm to other beings and to our shared planet. Though certainly not perfect, this has been the aim in building&nbsp;<em>Satiety Cove</em>. It is a precious and cherished “understatement&#8221; that embodies the&nbsp;<em>sweet point of satiation</em>&nbsp;– thus its name,&nbsp;<em>Satiety Cove</em>. I feel blessed and truly satiated, and I pray that our civilization comes to value the preciousness of “less”, simpler, and so-called “dumb,” so Earth can regenerate and we humans can once again experience the beauty of being fully alive.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Tomorrow 5G smart phones could be mandatory – a Digital ID tragedy for all</title>
		<link>https://safetechinternational.org/tomorrow-5g-smart-phones-could-be-mandatory-a-digital-id-tragedy-for-all/</link>
					<comments>https://safetechinternational.org/tomorrow-5g-smart-phones-could-be-mandatory-a-digital-id-tragedy-for-all/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[wizard]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 10:22:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Active Denial System]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cell phones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[data colonialism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[data-mining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[datamining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital apartheid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital ID]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy consumption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facial recognition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patriarchy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smart cities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Wearables]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surveillance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surveillance capitalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[surveillance economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[telecoms industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transhumanism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[war]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[5G]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[antisemitic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Authoritarianism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Big Tech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biometrics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black Lives Matter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Britcard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[British Army]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CCTV]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[data]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital colonialism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital divide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discrimination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Genocide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heat ray]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ICE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ICE protests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[immigration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Israel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Keir Starmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[microwave weapons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[millimeter wave]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Musk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Palantir]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Palestinians]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[police state]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Policing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[privacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[racism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Real Time Crime Centres]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[refugee crisis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RFK Junior]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smart Phones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smart surveillance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[state]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UK]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ukraine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wearables]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://safetechinternational.org/?p=30222</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Written by Sean Alexander Carney for Safe Tech International • Image designed by Sean Alexander Carney Disclaimer: Safe Tech International is comprised of a diverse group of people from various countries who have come together to advocate for safer digital technologies. We do not have a uniform stance on all global political issues, nor do...]]></description>
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<p>Written by Sean Alexander Carney for Safe Tech International • Image designed by Sean Alexander Carney</p>



<p><em>Disclaimer: Safe Tech International is comprised of a diverse group of people from various countries who have come together to advocate for safer digital technologies. We do not have a uniform stance on all global political issues, nor do we feel this is necessary in advocacy for safer internet and telecommunications technologies. We support diversity of thought, and feel that well-researched blogs and outreach materials&nbsp;that both awaken and inspire others to seek the greater good are essential in our times.&nbsp;In light of that, please note that all members of Safe Tech International do not necessarily agree with every political statement made in the following excellent and well-researched blog.</em></p>



<p><strong>The world would be a different place without smart technology, which is personified by the <strong>ubiquitous </strong>smart phone. However, more than that, the world would be a different place if smart technology didn&#8217;t come first – in every political decision.</strong></p>



<p>These technologies have helped to create the police state of today. It is nurtured by the political climate in which <strong>Digital ID</strong> is being sold to us. Governments are digitally dividing society into an &#8220;us and them&#8221; equation – through <strong>AI-driven smart technology</strong>. In that world, the smart phone – a data-mining surveillance tool for the police state – is made conveniently mandatory.</p>



<p><strong>Digital surveillance and Digital ID</strong></p>



<p>The potential of the smart phone to disempower society, piece by piece, is no secret – phones are being tracked and personal information is leaking via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It may shock people to realise that Wi-Fi &#8220;sensing&#8221; enables AI to <a href="https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/technology-articles/computer-science/wifi-router-sees-people-through-walls/">see us through walls</a> and <a href="https://www.activistpost.com/wifi-sensing-sees-through-walls/">monitor our movements</a> in real time with 5G.</p>



<p>Our data, in a multiplicity of forms commonly derived from routine smart phone activity, is the prized possession of government agencies and, the corporations and organisations that profit from it, <a href="https://www.biometricupdate.com/202209/gates-foundation-commits-200m-to-digital-id-and-other-public-infrastructure">who are lobbying for Digital ID</a>, which enables more intrusive data-mining. There are numerous consequences of this vast &#8220;data-mining&#8221;, proving that <strong>the smart phone is anything but an &#8220;empowering&#8221;</strong> <strong>device</strong>.</p>



<p>Some social groups more than others received a taste of this reality during the &#8220;pandemic&#8221; – notably activists, <a href="https://phys.org/news/2025-06-headlines-hidden-toll-journalists-pandemic.html">journalists</a> and other campaigning professionals using social media and smart phones to raise political awareness when human rights were under assault. Reliance on smart phones exposed their data to increased scrutiny, left them open to international government, <a href="https://aoav.org.uk/2024/mission-creep-freedom-of-information-disclosure-proves-77th-brigade-was-deployed-on-uk-operations-during-covid/">military</a> and police efforts to target social media, control information, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9800505/Private-Israeli-malware-used-spy-journalists-activists-report.html">monitor persons of interest</a> and deter protests. Society witnessed a hike in intrusive data-driven surveillance and algorithmic censorship, as well as calls for <a href="https://dis-blog.thalesgroup.com/identity-biometric-solutions/2021/06/23/covid-19-health-passes-can-open-the-door-to-a-digital-id-revolution/">Digital ID in the form of digital &#8220;Vaccine Passports&#8221;</a>, all of which could now be empowered by AI and 5G wireless infrastructure.</p>



<p><strong>Climate of social and racial manipulation</strong></p>



<p>Among the targets in the climate of social unrest was the &#8220;Woke&#8221; organisation Black Lives Matter (BLM), protesting in 2020, and invested in &#8220;smart phone activism&#8221;. However, soon BLM discovered that their smart phones were an &#8220;Achilles Heel&#8221;. Big Tech had been aiding the police, with <strong>social media surveillance and facial recognition technologies (FRTs)</strong>, <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/01/ban-dangerous-facial-recognition-technology-that-amplifies-racist-policing-2/">targeting protesters</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="496" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-06-23-at-22.30.10-1024x496.png" alt="" class="wp-image-31297" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-06-23-at-22.30.10-1024x496.png 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-06-23-at-22.30.10-300x145.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-06-23-at-22.30.10-768x372.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-06-23-at-22.30.10-1536x743.png 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-06-23-at-22.30.10-2048x991.png 2048w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-06-23-at-22.30.10-600x290.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: <a href="https://banthescan.amnesty.org/decode/index.html">Amnesty International</a> &#8220;The New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) surveillance machinery disproportionally threatens the rights of non-white New Yorkers. The expansive reach of facial recognition leaves entire neighbourhoods and protest sites across the city exposed to surveillance via facial recognition, supercharging existing racial discrimination. This cannot continue. We must ban the scan.&#8221;</figcaption></figure>



<p>BLM had known social media surveillance for many years (targeted by police through the <a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/boston-police-used-social-media-surveillance-years-without">social media intelligence platform Geofeedia</a>). However, they had never highlighted this technological side of &#8220;colonialism&#8221; in their midst.</p>



<p>In September 2020 – <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-54187961">according to the BBC</a> – officers at a [Black Lives Matter] protest in Washington&#8217;s Lafayette Square “&#8230;requested a &#8220;heat ray&#8221; weapon for possible use against protesters in a park next to the White House…The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Denial_System">heat ray weapon [Active Denial System]</a> uses a microwave beam [millimeter wave energy] to make human skin feel like it is burning.” That same month, Facial Recognition Technologies (FRTs) had also been deployed against the protesters.</p>



<p>BLM supporters toppling <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monuments_and_memorials_removed_during_the_George_Floyd_protests">colonialist statues</a> in recent times, have liberally targeted the past. However, they didn&#8217;t target the Big Tech companies, Big Tech figureheads or smart phones/smart surveillance technology, or microwave weapons of the present. An opportunity to highlight <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_colonialism"><strong>digital/electronic colonialism</strong> </a>as the threat of contemporary Imperialism – exemplified by the symbiosis of Big Tech and the police to target and ID protesters with data-driven technologies – was ominously missed when unprecedented global attention was on the organisation in 2020.</p>



<p>BLM, it can be argued, avoided the technological &#8220;elephants in the room&#8221; and thus seemed to change very little for civil rights, because <em>policing is inseparable from microwave and smart technologies.</em></p>



<p><strong>A technological, data-gathering warzone</strong></p>



<p>Predatory, data-driven policing is today at the heart of recent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, as are identity politics. The surveillance of and confrontations with protesters are portrayed as a crackdown on those in the US who may not have the necessary Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents that prove their identity.</p>



<p>Police brutality (with military tactics and manpower) aligned to &#8220;technological supremacism&#8221; characterises the &#8220;sweeps&#8221; on the streets of LA, which are fuelled by data from smart surveillance infrastructure and tools.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.biometricupdate.com/202506/police-federal-video-surveillance-of-anti-ice-protests-in-los-angeles-raise-alarms">Biometric Update</a> author Anthony Kimery, in the article “<a href="https://www.biometricupdate.com/202506/police-federal-video-surveillance-of-anti-ice-protests-in-los-angeles-raise-alarms">Police, federal video surveillance of anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles raise alarms</a>”, observes that, “In the wake of escalating protests in Los Angeles over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and broader immigration enforcement policies, civil liberties advocates and technologists are sounding the alarm over the scale and scope of surveillance that’s been deployed against demonstrators…While aerial footage and law enforcement presence dominate the visible landscape of the protests, <strong>a quieter form of monitoring is unfolding in the digital realm</strong> where facial recognition tools, [Amazon] Ring camera footage, and social media surveillance intersect to create a sprawling matrix of protester identification.”</p>



<p><strong>Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)</strong> has made significant investments in wireless Internet of Things (IoT) technologies – as admitted by <a href="https://www.police1.com/tech-pulse/leading-the-digital-beat-lapds-deputy-chief-talks-technologys-role-in-shaping-the-future-of-policing">Deputy Chief John McMahon who believes</a>, “Virtual reality and technologies like the [wearable] <em>Apple Vision Pro</em> goggles, which <strong>double as a computer</strong>, offer endless possibilities for enhancing law enforcement operations.”</p>



<p>(The same has been said about <strong>smart glasses</strong>, wearables that are currently being used by law enforcement in China and the Middle East, and will be coming to a town near you, with facial recognition technology built in. According to <a href="https://www.greenbot.com/meta-facial-recognition-smart-glasses/">Greenbot</a>, &#8220;<strong>facial recognition in wearables may soon become common despite ethical concerns</strong>.&#8221; As <a href="https://harvardtechnologyreview.com/2024/11/01/ai-glasses-unveil-privacy-risks-an-interview-with-the-creators-of-i-xray/">Harvard Technology Review</a> observes, &#8220;&#8230;while European regulations have restricted the use of real-time facial recognition, <strong>no such protections exist in the United States</strong>.&#8221;)</p>



<p>Smart technology <strong>automates much of policing</strong>, and supports the militarisation of the police, which has continued since 9/11 when &#8220;surplus combat equipment [was] procured and assigned to local police departments&#8221;. <a href="https://bylinetimes.com/2020/07/23/special-forces-operatives-are-high-functioning-psychopaths-what-happens-when-they-are-deployed-to-democratic-cities/">Source</a>. The trend has seen <a href="https://bylinetimes.com/2020/07/23/special-forces-operatives-are-high-functioning-psychopaths-what-happens-when-they-are-deployed-to-democratic-cities/">units that &#8220;mimic Special Forces&#8221;</a>. According to <a href="https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2025/6/12/stop-condemns-escalating-federal-police-surveillance-of-la-protests">stopspying.org</a>, in the US amidst anti-ICE demonstrations, &#8220;federal immigration enforcement have flown Predator drones, Black Hawk helicopters, and other military aircraft <strong>typically deployed in warzones overseas above the protests</strong>.&#8221;</p>



<p>Reports of &#8220;masked, unmarked agents&#8221; assigned to work with <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/07/09/nx-s1-5440311/ice-raids-masked-agents">ICE that are targeting demonstrators and others</a> reinforce the &#8220;Special Forces&#8221; dimension to the technologically assisted ICE policing. Arguably this is a terrorising tactic, and one that is challenging legal frameworks, undermining transparency and creating fear.</p>



<p>In a discussion in <a href="https://bylinetimes.com/2020/07/23/special-forces-operatives-are-high-functioning-psychopaths-what-happens-when-they-are-deployed-to-democratic-cities/">bylinetimes.com</a> concerning the &#8220;militarisation of police departments, and the domestic deployments of armed units trained and staffed by Special Forces soldiers to our cities&#8221;, Professor Timothy Snyder of Yale – author of <em>On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century</em> – is quoted as saying, &#8220;This is a classic way that violence happens in authoritarian regimes… The people who are getting used to committing violence on the border are then brought in to commit violence against people in the interior.&#8221; <a href="https://bylinetimes.com/2020/07/23/special-forces-operatives-are-high-functioning-psychopaths-what-happens-when-they-are-deployed-to-democratic-cities/">Source.</a></p>



<p><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/crime/general/kidnappers-or-ice-agents-lapd-grapples-with-surge-in-calls-from-concerned-citizens/ar-AA1HTbHW">MSN</a> reported that, &#8220;Some city and Police Commission leaders have called on the <strong>LAPD</strong> to do more to identify <strong>masked</strong> individuals who are taking part in immigration sweeps.&#8221; The streets are becoming a technological, data-gathering warzone.</p>



<p><strong>Smart technology for health, or authenticating ID?</strong></p>



<p>As this &#8220;militarised&#8221; climate of fear over &#8220;proving identity&#8221; is raised to fever pitch, I&#8217;m sure it won&#8217;t be long before the subject of <a href="https://itif.org/publications/2024/09/23/path-to-digital-identity-in-the-united-states/">Digital ID</a> becomes centre stage issue the US – targeting Americans with smart phones. Digital ID in the US is sold as &#8220;more convenient, secure, privacy-protective, and usable than a physical ID&#8221;.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/trumps_palantir_powered_surveillance_is_turning_america_into_a_digital_prison">A centralised database built by Big Tech data-mining firm Palantir</a> is already proving more than attractive to the Trump government – which would support a Digital ID framework, and, ICE deportations. As Vice observes, &#8220;In a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/23/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-defends-his-companys-work-for-the-government.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNBC interview</a> at Davos, Palantir CEO Alex Karp admitted that his company “[finds] people in our country who are undocumented.” <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/palantirs-ceo-finally-admits-to-helping-ice-deport-undocumented-immigrants/">Source</a>.</p>



<p>For Digital ID to be a success, biometrics are a key dataset. Currently, &#8220;<a href="https://www.visaverge.com/news/immigrationos-lets-ice-track-immigrants-like-never-before/"><strong>Palantir</strong> gathers <strong>biometric</strong> and behavioral data for removal operations</a>&#8220;. The function-creep of smart phones has ensured this dataset can be obtained with ease, &#8220;conveniently&#8221;, for <strong>biometrics capture</strong> is hardwired into the technology – as it is in fashionable smart &#8220;wearables&#8221;.</p>



<p>In the US, health secretary RFK Junior recommends that all citizens own wearables, &#8220;<a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/03/wearables-rfk-personal-health-data">envisioning that every American will use them within four years</a>&#8220;. Like smart phones, wearable devices are a desirable &#8220;data-mine&#8221; for the police, and governments – and such data would greatly assist Palantir. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305076814_Wearable_authentication_Trends_and_opportunities">Wearables offer many opportunities for &#8220;tapping&#8221; rich sets of data</a>.</p>



<p>The safety of sensitive, personal health data remains in question, however, when Big Tech is greedy for it and is prepared to breech data guidelines. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/10/the-10-largest-gdpr-fines-on-big-tech/">Fines seem inconsequential</a>. For example, <strong>facial recognition company</strong> Clearview AI &#8220;was <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/03/clearview-ai-hit-with-its-largest-gdpr-fine-yet-as-dutch-regulator-considers-holding-execs-personally-liable/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fined just over €30M</a> (close to $32M) by the Netherlands’ data protection authority in September 2024. In 2022 it was also fined the maximum possible (€20M or around $22M, based on its revenue at that time) a full three times by DPAs in <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/09/clearview-italy-gdpr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Italy</a>, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/13/clearview-greek-ban-order/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greece</a> and <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/20/clearview-ai-fined-in-france/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">France</a>.&#8221; <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/10/the-10-largest-gdpr-fines-on-big-tech/">Source</a>.</p>



<p><strong>AI-driven smart technology: who wants your data?</strong></p>



<p>Influencers who are outspoken on social issues, like RFKJnr and Patrisse Marie Khan-Cullors Brignac (formerly of BLM), must see that smart technologies are invasive surveillance tools. However, <a href="https://safetechinternational.org/not-neutral/">RFKJnr believes that wearables are vital for health</a>, which is questionable. Meanwhile, former Black Lives Matter (BLM) leader Patrisse Marie Khan-Cullors Brignac helped empower a movement against <strong>colonialism in the 21st century</strong> yet the movement hasn&#8217;t spoken out against targeted smart phone surveillance, Facial Recognition Technologies (FRTs) Digital ID, or AI algorithms that can be <a href="https://sciencepolicy.hsites.harvard.edu/blog/racial-discrimination-face-recognition-technology">inherently racist or disciminatory</a>, (proven in study after study).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="615" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.35.56-1024x615.png" alt="" class="wp-image-30892" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.35.56-1024x615.png 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.35.56-300x180.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.35.56-768x461.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.35.56-600x360.png 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.35.56.png 1179w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: <a href="https://sciencepolicy.hsites.harvard.edu/blog/racial-discrimination-face-recognition-technology">https://sciencepolicy.hsites.harvard.edu/blog/racial-discrimination-face-recognition-technology</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>Failing to politically highlight the invasive data-driven surveillance underway courtesy of smart technology has consequences. A centralised database of Americans is now on the cards whether US citizens of any colour agree or not. Murals of 2020 supporting BLM are torn up and military installations are renamed in support of the Ku Klux Klan, as the Whitehouse makes deals with Big Tech and data-mining company, Palantir. Meanwhile, wearables for every American is promoted as a mantra.</p>



<p>There is a deep political desire to control the public&#8217;s data, and to keep mining it, intrusively though smart technologies – something the police are relying on more and more. The &#8220;terrorising&#8221; policing tactics and data-driven technologies being rolled out at demonstrations today take on a different dimension when we realise that the US and UK police alike are being trained in Israel, a country that reinforces apartheid through surveillance technologies, and is engaged in ethnic cleansing in Gaza.</p>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.amnestyusa.org/blog/with-whom-are-many-u-s-police-departments-training-with-a-chronic-human-rights-violator-israel/">Amnesty International</a>, &#8220;Public or private funds spent to train our domestic police in Israel should concern all of us.&#8221; Yet how many of us know that the police are adopting Israeli tactics? Consider also, that <a href="https://aoav.org.uk/2025/corsights-crisis-why-british-police-forces-must-rethink-their-israeli-facial-recognition-partners/">Israeli technologies</a> like those made by <strong>Israeli spytech company</strong> Cellebrite – <a href="https://www.slashgear.com/1626819/what-is-cellebrite-what-can-it-recover/">a digital forensics company that sells tools to access and extract data from smartphones</a> – which has &#8220;<strong>contracts with the British police</strong>&#8221; may access &#8220;police and security surveillance data&#8221;, because they are part of the &#8220;<a href="https://www.presstv.co.uk/Detail/2023/09/02/710112/UK-police-use-Israeli-spyware">The 2030 roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations</a>&#8221; signed off by the British Government.</p>



<p>Concerningly, <a href="https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/cellebrite-faces-further-criticism-of-human-rights-record-as-goes-public-amid-reports-repressive-regimes-kept-buying-products-after-company-said-it-ended-sales/?companies=4549635">Cellebrite has a &#8220;disastrous human rights record&#8221; and assists repressive regimes</a>. For example, in 2021, as the <a href="https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/myanmar-global-tech-companies-support-countrys-digital-dictatorship-according-to-report-incl-co-comments/">Business and Human Rights Resource Centre</a> reported, &#8220;Evidence of surveillance technology being used by the Myanmar state [formerly Burma]…was revealed when it surfaced that the military used <strong>phone-hacking technology</strong> from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/01/world/asia/myanmar-coup-military-surveillance.html">Israeli spyware firm Cellebrite</a> to arrest two Reuters journalists for investigating a military massacre of ten Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State in 2017.&#8221;</p>



<p>Cellebrite is interested in more than<strong> access to and data from smart phones</strong>, however. <a href="https://cellebrite.com/en/how-wearables-are-being-used-to-solve-homicides-missing-person-and-illicit-drug-cases/">According to Cellebrite</a>, &#8220;Digital wearables, such as Fitbit, record seemingly mundane activities — the number of steps we take in a day, our heartbeats, sleep schedules, locations, and distance traveled. To the trained eyes of criminal investigators, the <strong>data from wearables can be used to document our daily lives</strong>, right down to the last footstep and heartbeat. This data can prove invaluable when investigating crimes….extraction of data from wearable devices [has] led to arrests and prosecutions.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>Techno-anarchy in the UK</strong></p>



<p>Clearly smart phones and wearables enable a society governed by Digital ID, underpinned by AI. It&#8217;s the direction the US, and UK, is headed, with the tragedy of racial unrest continuing, driven by technology that promotes over-policing and racially biased targeting.</p>



<p>In the UK as in the US, Palantir are at the centre of data-mining activities. <a href="https://libertyinvestigates.org.uk/articles/uk-police-working-with-controversial-tech-giant-palantir-on-real-time-surveillance-network/">According to Liberty</a>, the &#8220;&#8230;controversial US spy tech firm [Palantir] has landed a contract with UK police to develop a surveillance network that will incorporate <strong>data</strong> <strong>about citizens&#8217; political opinions, philosophical beliefs, health records and other sensitive personal information</strong>.&#8221; </p>



<p>In the UK, Digital ID is increasingly in the news. As the political dimensions around it are comparable with those of the US in so many ways, they deserve our attention.</p>



<p><a href="https://mobileidworld.com/uk-government-announces-gov-uk-digital-id-wallet-launch-for-2025-2/">The UK government launched</a> &#8220;Gov.uk Wallet, a digital identity system that will consolidate government-issued credentials into a <strong>centralized mobile application</strong>. The initiative marks a significant advancement in the UK’s broader digitization strategy, following the country’s <a href="https://mobileidworld.com/uk-government-engages-private-sector-on-gov-uk-wallet-and-digital-identity-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recent engagement with private sector stakeholders</a> on digital identity solutions&#8230;The technical implementation will use facial recognition capabilities available on most contemporary smartphones for identity verification.&#8221; This offers clues as to how the UK&#8217;s vision of Digital ID will look.</p>



<p>The Digital ID initiative progresses as racial unrest in the form of Gaza protests and continuing immigration-related &#8220;troubles&#8221; spark police controntations where facial recognition technologies (FRTs) and smart phone surveillance are hastily rushed out (without ethical regulations) and serve to deter public demonstrations and &#8220;dissent&#8221;.</p>



<p>Regarding the Gaza demonstrations, these events are democratic rights that communicate to us all how unpopular Israel&#8217;s &#8220;genocidal&#8221; war is, and also show us that predominantly in the media, protesting against the killing of Palestinians and waving their flags in demonstrations is being sold as &#8220;anti-Israel&#8221; as if that type of protesting were &#8220;antisemitic&#8221;. UK Foreign Office &#8220;staff officials [questioning] the UK&#8217;s continued arms sales and what they called a &#8220;stark… disregard for international law&#8221; by Israel,&#8221; have been warned that they should consider resigning if they <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8nzx1475ro">&#8220;disagree&#8221; over Gaza</a>.</p>



<p>Citizens opposing Israel&#8217;s &#8220;genocide&#8221; can be labelled antisemitic for expressing alarm, or demonstrating – though <a href="https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/israelis-protest-gaza-war-netanyahu-wftw9xpj">when 100,000 Israelis take to the streets</a> to oppose the war, the popular media either has no name for it, or avoids highlighting it. &#8220;Antisemitism&#8221; describes &#8220;bigotry, prejudice or discrimination against <strong>Jews</strong>&#8220;. &#8220;Bigotry, prejudice or discrimination against Palestinians&#8221; who are also &#8220;semitic&#8221; people is defended by the British State. In Israel the oppression of Palestinians has been progressed over decades of the authorities collecting biometric data on Palestinians (and even Jews) to control both populations, helped by growing smart phone use, and the rise of facial recognition technologies being developed in Israel.</p>



<p><strong>Britcard: for silencing voices</strong>?</p>



<p>In the UK a Digital ID could equally be <a href="https://thecongressionalinsider.com/blairs-digital-id-push-could-strip-uk-citizens-of-free-speech/">employed to silence criticism to the government line</a>. &#8220;Government officials have suggested that digital IDs could be linked to facial recognition technology and biometric data, creating a system that closely monitors every citizen’s movements and interactions.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="590" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gaza-1024x590.png" alt="" class="wp-image-30259" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gaza-1024x590.png 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gaza-300x173.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gaza-768x442.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gaza-1536x885.png 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gaza-2048x1179.png 2048w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/gaza-600x346.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Headline by BBC: <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8nzx1475ro">Source</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<p>In the context of this &#8220;autocratic&#8221; UK government stance, where political divides arise over Israel/Gaza and immigration-fuelled controversies, we&#8217;re seeing a biometric Digital ID emerge with the proposition of &#8220;Britcard&#8221;.</p>



<p>It is a proposition progressing from a speculative and &#8220;voluntary&#8221; status towards being pushed as mandatory – on the back of Britain&#8217;s infamous &#8220;Immigration&#8221; and protesting problems.</p>



<p>Immigration problems in the UK have fuelled protests and dissatisifaction for some time – but only after protests against <strong>wars (that have been causing the refugee crisis)</strong> failed, falling on the deaf ears of governments determined to support or wage them. Deterring protest with AI&#8217;s assistance has since become a priority of governments and the police. Silkie Carlo, <a href="https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/press-releases/big-brother-watch-responds-to-prime-ministers-plan-for-increased-use-of-facial-recognition/">director of Big Brother Watch (BBW)</a>, believes “…AI surveillance turns members of the public into walking ID cards, is dangerously inaccurate and has no explicit legal basis in the UK.” BBW found that &#8220;Over 60% of UK residents are concerned about the use of facial recognition in public spaces.”</p>



<p>Britcard should be viewed as an extension of this desire to control, for who would protest if their data could instantly be assigned to a &#8220;watch list&#8221; courtesy of an AI driven app and deprive one of essential services? It is an existential threat, along with the growing arsenal of FRTs and Drones to support the program.</p>



<p>“Britcard”, is presented as a proposition for a national Digital ID, and is being advertised a solution for “immigration out of control” though deserves closer scrutiny. As <a href="https://www.ccn.com/news/technology/britcard-support-grows-uk-digital-identity/">CCN</a> reports, Britcard is touted as a way to “help Britain control illegal migration and secure its borders.”</p>



<p>&#8220;What else could Britcard be used for?&#8221; is a question everyone should be asking. What about backing a national conscription program? <a href="https://www.familyhistory.co.uk/national-registration-1915-1939/">National ID cards introduced in 1939 assisted in conscription</a> – the last time a mandatory ID system was introduced in the UK. Could that happen with Digital IDs? Its happening in Europe which <a href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/03/11/could-europe-conscript-300000-troops-needed-to-deter-russia-without-us">seeks to conscript 300,000 troops</a> as a deterrent to Russia.</p>



<p><strong>Beyond the obvious and advertised</strong></p>



<p>Talk of resuming UK conscription was in the air recently, concerning Vladimir Putin who is seen as a threat because &#8220;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-considers-bringing-back-conscription-for-the-first-time-since-ww2-as-fears-of-putins-growing-aggression-mount-report-8852527">Britain sees its number of soldiers dwindling</a>&#8220;. Europe also appears to be preparing populations for conflict aimed at Putin.</p>



<p>However, according to <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/conscription-age-return-legal-2872584?ico=most_popular">inews.co.uk</a>, &#8220;Downing Street has dismissed a warning from the head of the <a href="https://inews.co.uk/topic/british-army?ico=in-line_link">British Army </a>that members of the public could be called up to fight in the event of a war with <a href="https://inews.co.uk/topic/russia?ico=in-line_link">Russia</a>.&#8221; Governments have been known to U-turn. The UK government seems desperate to implement national Digital ID. Any war might help achieve that, from the &#8220;immigation war&#8221; to the world war three scenario suggested by the spectre of Putin.</p>



<p>War is spoken of a lot today, though some seek to create it casually through their influence. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ydddy3qzgo">Big Tech attempted to fan the flames of immigration discontent</a> in the guise of Elon Musk, partner in the techno-eugenecist rebrand of politics under President Donald Trump who is deliberately engineering a racially tense atmosphere in the US, in every way possible (while Elon promotes the idea of &#8220;Smart-people&#8221; enhanced by smart technology). “<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ydddy3qzgo">Sir Keir Starmer [became] embroiled in a war of words with Elon Musk, after the tech billionaire suggested that &#8220;civil war is inevitable&#8221; following violent unrest in the UK</a>”, as the BBC reported in 2024.</p>



<p>Britcard remains a politically divisive &#8220;us and them&#8221; type of proposition. CITIZENS vs IMMIGRATION is currently the main narrative to convince people to accept a life where <a href="https://www.digitalid.co.uk/error/Error404?aspxerrorpath=/blog/is-digital-id-a-good-idea">digital proof of ID</a> permits access to private and public sector services digitally. Fear and &#8220;othering&#8221; are the UK government&#8217;s usual tried and tested ways of introducing more surveillance on the population, and biased AI algorithms ensure that will continue be the case.</p>



<p>No doubt &#8220;othering&#8221; comes into play in conscription as well, as it did in the UK in 1939 when ID Cards were forced on the population, and resisting conscription was frowned upon. In a similar way, Digital ID could be used as a coercive tool for purposes beyond the obvious and advertised, empowering governments in gaining the compliance of citizens for a multiplicity of political goals.</p>



<p>The UK and US governments are funding energy guzzling data centres and utilise <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/real-time-crime-centre-police-surveillance-technology-fusus/">Real Time Crime Centres (RTCC) </a>(<a href="https://www.axon.com/products/axon-fusus/unified-interface">spearheaded by Fusus</a> “the most widely used and trusted real-time crime center platform in US public safety”). Here police use all the latest bells and whistles of surveillance technology and data analytics, so we are seeing the foundations of a Digital ID being built.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/server-90389_1920-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30831" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/server-90389_1920-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/server-90389_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/server-90389_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/server-90389_1920-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/server-90389_1920-600x400.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/server-90389_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/kewl-24755/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=90389">kewl</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=90389">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>The RTCC system brings together the smart technology platforms of Big Tech to policing to carry out the State&#8217;s divide and rule political and strategic tactics on society. Digital ID will be a critical data-driven tool linking to these systems. <a href="https://breachmedia.ca/canadian-police-expanding-surveillance-powers-via-new-digital-operations-centres/">According to breechmedia</a>, &#8220;While creating the centres, police forces have sought out advice and technology from major corporations like Motorola, IBM, and Palantir, many with controversial ties to military and spy agencies.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>The UK&#8217;s future – who is allowed to join it?</strong></p>



<p>We&#8217;re at the threshold of the QR code society, which is a surveillance economy – where you are the product, giving your profitable data through every digital transaction with a smart phone Digital ID app. Like a product on a shelf, a human acquires an ID number and barcode (QR code), to be tracked anywhere like a pet or a prisoner with a GPS bracelet. Wearables can only assist in the &#8220;progressive&#8221; Digital ID world.</p>



<p>A think tank closely aligned with the government called <a href="https://www.labourtogether.uk/all-reports/britcard">Labour Together</a> believes that &#8220;For a progressive society to work, it needs to be able to collectively agree who is allowed to join it. Because it will exclude those who cannot join it, it needs to give its members proof that they belong.&#8221; This is the logic behind the UK&#8217;s Digital ID scheme &#8220;Britcard&#8221;.</p>



<p>According to <a href="https://theweek.com/politics/is-it-time-the-uk-introduced-mandatory-id?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-gb\">The Week</a>, “Number 10 appears to be&#8230;rolling out [the] voluntary scheme that could become mandatory at a future date. Labour Together has estimated the BritCard system would cost up to £400 million to build and around £10 million a year to administer as a free-to-use app.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="900" height="635" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-21.58.45.png" alt="" class="wp-image-30734" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-21.58.45.png 900w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-21.58.45-300x212.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-21.58.45-768x542.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-21.58.45-600x423.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Britcard becomes an issue on the internet.</figcaption></figure>



<p><strong>State in a Smart Phone</strong></p>



<p>A Digital ID is already being used in the UK-backed Ukraine as the country endeavours to achieve a state of technological supremacy, and guard against Russia. A Digital ID backed by a government app drives the Ukraine into deeper autocracy, and an &#8220;us and them&#8221; world. The &#8220;<a href="https://sk.ua/ukraine-privacy-aspects-of-the-new-digital-ids-regulation/">State in a Smartphone</a>&#8221; project handled by the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation passed a Digital ID law and now all authorities and private business are equipped “to be able to <strong>scan the relevant QR-code of the New Digital IDs</strong>” to verify identities.</p>



<p>Ukraine, by adopting Digital ID places itself on a par with other repressive regimes that have imposed the same with the aid of <a href="https://time.com/6691662/ai-ukraine-war-palantir/">profit hungry Big Tech companies like Palantir</a>. &#8220;<a href="https://tial.org/illustration-cases/kyiv-digital-and-diia-reinvention-in-the-face-of-war/">Currently, Diia, the national government&#8217;s app which is used by over 20 million people</a>.</p>



<p>Today, nearly all of Kyiv’s adult population relies on the apps&#8221;. This ensures complete digital dependency, meaning that with immediacy, access to healthcare, resources, and vital services can be refused and withheld, on the basis of the political control of a person&#8217;s data. <a href="https://www.womentech.net/speaker/Victoria/Itskovych/102254">Victoria Itskovych</a>, Chief Information Officer of Kyiv City (CIO) said: &#8220;<a href="https://tial.org/illustration-cases/kyiv-digital-and-diia-reinvention-in-the-face-of-war/"><em>For any emergency – be it floods, earthquakes, or pandemics –</em>&#8230;<em>cities need a trusted channel of communication that cannot be hijacked to spread fear and panic.</em></a><em>”</em> Clearly only the voice of the State matters, when State-driven apps come into town.</p>



<p>Digital ID, for the Ukraine, establishes a questionable form of technology for a questionable “democracy” that has faced massive protests over government corruption, and brought “<a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/world/ukrainian-protesters-defy-new-draconian-laws/article_c523c724-a64e-550d-a578-81b2ead62873.html">draconian</a>” anti-protest laws that curb protest rights, free speech and NGO involvement in these processes. Deterring protest is also an agenda in the UK and US, today, with governments employing Facial Recognition Technologies (FRTs) and social media surveillance to build watch lists and target protesters or &#8220;dissidents&#8221; – a police state gaining power.</p>



<p><strong>Can a Digital ID promote &#8220;Humanness&#8221;?</strong></p>



<p>This interpenetrating Digital ID surveillance system, wherever it is implemented, UK or Ukraine, requires sustaining fast wireless networks (5G for example) and massively expanding data-centres, a drain on earth’s resources – fundamentally in the name of mass surveillance – and, it means sacrificing our freedom and “humanness” to “belong”, when our existence is digitally organised by AI algorithms.</p>



<p><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/search?filters%5BauthorTerms%5D=Firmin%20DeBrabander&amp;eventCode=SE-AU">Firmin DeBrabander</a>, the Cambridge University Press author of <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/life-after-privacy/AEA24BF45F6A4E959E467EB3299F705A">Life after Privacy</a>: Reclaiming Democracy in a Surveillance Society, believes that, &#8220;In the digital net that envelops our everyday lives, it will become increasingly more difficult and rare to perform any task without revealing ourselves, and opening our lives to spying eyes. And our spies are not content to watch us from without; they will install sentinels in our very bodies, and monitor us from within.&#8221; <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/life-after-privacy/surveillance-economy/DAAB313A7E979E866A05996A920DE682">Source</a>.</p>



<p>This is the future being constructed. Digital ID is a political choice, and it advertises that a fascist surveillance state is the preferred existence, above all other possibilities. Where is that future going to lead us?</p>



<p><a href="https://www.jst.go.jp/moonshot/en/program/goal3/appeal/3A_morishima_ap01.html">Moonshot R&amp;D</a> calls the intensely surveilled future we’re heading towards a new world of inspiration “where people, robots, and biological cyborgs collaborate and co-evolve”. It’s the so-called “fifth stage of human evolution”, a prospect Japan is embracing, where a “Super-smart” Society 5.0 (an agenda evolved since the advent of 5G in 2016) represents “a visionary roadmap for the future of human civilization”, as described by <a href="https://innovaromorir.com">innovaromorir.com</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/switch-949109_1920-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30834" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/switch-949109_1920-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/switch-949109_1920-300x225.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/switch-949109_1920-768x576.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/switch-949109_1920-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/switch-949109_1920-600x450.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/switch-949109_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/tbit-715211/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=949109">Thomas Breher</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=949109">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>Sounds like the endgame of the &#8220;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Reset">Great Reset</a>&#8221; which advances the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and, dictates technological evolution. How does that work? <a href="https://sociable.co/government-and-policy/wef-augmented-society-digital-id-transhumanism/">Sociable.co</a> asserts that, “…the unelected globalists at the <a href="https://sociable.co/government-and-policy/wef-augmented-society-digital-id-transhumanism/">World Economic Forum (WEF)</a> are envisioning an “augmented society” <strong>ruled by digital identity and transhumanism</strong> via the Internet of Bodies….They want digital identity…embedded into every aspect of our lives — even under our skin…” where sensors on or inside the body “monitor, analyze, and even modify human bodies and behavior.”</p>



<p>Such views and observations no longer seem outlandish. Smart technology, and in particular wearables and implants, are posing many ethical questions, though Big Tech companies are banking on what Klaus Schwab calls “<strong>a fusion of our physical, our digital, and our biological identities</strong>” while no ethical oversight can prevent any movement in that direction.</p>



<p>Put in this light, we can see how an acceptance of Digital ID is like throwing &#8220;humanness&#8221; onto the trash heap in favour of inhabiting a &#8220;post-human society&#8221; (<a href="https://www.posthumans.org/">discussed by the Global Posthuman Network</a>) where people are, through new markets like smart dust and implants, technologically augemented (which in today&#8217;s parlance means people are being &#8220;progressive&#8221;).</p>



<p>People accepting of a Digital ID are trading any other alternative life for a digitally &#8220;remastered&#8221; and reinforced &#8220;self&#8221; (as populations under repressive regimes have discovered) consenting to centralised surveillance, and technologically targeted control over individuals, using health data (digital health), and mental health status or any other data of strategic value that can set limits and reinforce Big Tech monopolies and government policies.</p>



<p>Digital ID is not about setting anyone free, but nudging the population to a place where AI comes to dominate life more. Government has a revolving door with Big Tech companies which accelerates the pace of digital surveillance transformations, which are about implementing AI for profit and control.</p>



<p><strong>AI and the lens of repression</strong></p>



<p>Keir Starmer of the UK Labour government said, with AI “<a href="https://www.publictechnology.net/2025/04/11/science-technology-and-research/starmer-ai-releases-individuals-to-be-more-human/">&#8230;there are huge opportunities and risks, and we need to marry the two…We need to push it through</a>”. Today, the UK like everywhere we know, is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance_capitalism">surveillance economy</a>, being pushed through, which can be measured in the sheer density of data-collecting CCTV cameras alone which are, to be clear, a technology invented by the Nazi regime.</p>



<p>CCTV cameras are now enhanced by AI, and are the eyes of the AI-data-driven State today, using facial recognition and other algorithmic surveilance tools – biased towards destroying dissent and activism, while proving inherently &#8220;racist&#8221;.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="685" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/artificial-intelligence-2167835_1920-1024x685.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30823" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/artificial-intelligence-2167835_1920-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/artificial-intelligence-2167835_1920-300x201.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/artificial-intelligence-2167835_1920-768x514.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/artificial-intelligence-2167835_1920-1536x1028.jpg 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/artificial-intelligence-2167835_1920-600x402.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/artificial-intelligence-2167835_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=2167835">Gerd Altmann</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=2167835">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>Speaking out on the issue of AI&#8217;s racist interpretations and language models, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55187611">Timnit Gebru was fired by Google</a> in 2020. She had been &#8220;supporting rigorous research on AI ethics and algorithmic auditing&#8221; while the company romanced Black Lives Matter (BLM), Diversity politics, and Civil Rights to bask in &#8220;political correctness&#8221;, to promote products to a wider audience. This is a road that Big Tech in general has walked profitably, though now distances itself from as the political climate changes towards one of technologically assisted intolerance, a climate which Big Tech arguably now exploits, and assists.</p>



<p>Google&#8217;s credibility to &#8220;Do No Evil&#8221; has waned immensely with the development of Project Nimbus, which is enabling data-driven AI surveillance for Israel. As <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240921-big-techs-complicity-in-genocide-the-unforgivable-silence-of-online-platforms/">Middle East Monitor</a> explains, “Beyond the sphere of social media, Google and Amazon’s collaboration with the Israeli military under <strong>Project Nimbus</strong> casts an even darker shadow over the tech industry’s role in this conflict [the war in Gaza]. The $1.2 billion cloud computing contract&#8230;<strong>provides critical infrastructure to power Israel’s AI-driven Lavender and Gospel targeting systems – systems that are directly linked to the mass civilian casualties in Gaza</strong> [and <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/google-fires-employees-protest-project-nimbus-israel-gaza_n_66219201e4b0868a1b903663">use facial recognition</a>].&#8221; It&#8217;s a lesson for us all, especially when it is clear that Israel has a grip on our police and governments, and seeks to influence strategies and technologies.</p>



<p><strong>Israel&#8217;s grip on Western police</strong> <strong>forces</strong></p>



<p>In April 2025, <a href="https://aoav.org.uk/2025/essex-police-refuse-to-reveal-whether-officers-met-with-controversial-facial-recognition-israeli-firm-corsight-ai/">aoav.org.uk</a> reported that “In a delayed response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV)”, Essex Police in the UK “…refused to confirm or deny whether any of their officers have met with representatives from Corsight AI, a controversial Israeli facial recognition technology company whose software has reportedly been used in IDF military operations in Gaza….a practice that human rights organisations have condemned as constituting “automated apartheid”.</p>



<p>This lack of transparency is similar to the US government refusing to be open about its facial recognition agenda, a policy of secrecy that raises concerns. The UK appears reliant on intrusive surveillance tactics and tools from Israel. It is worth asking, to what extent?</p>



<p><strong>What power do Israeli tech firms have over police in the UK?</strong></p>



<p>According to <a href="https://insidetelecom.com/uk-israel-tech-hub-and-what-you-should-know/">Inside Telecom</a>, “Over 500 Israeli tech and non-tech companies operate in the United Kingdom (UK), and the UK Israel Tech Hub is located within the British Embassy in Israel…This raises multiple questions about the relationship between the UK and Israel. The main aim of the organization is to secure private and public sector contracts for Israeli technology companies in the UK. Earlier reports from Palestine have also suggested that several Israeli tech firms act as fronts for Zionist intelligence agencies.”</p>



<p>Further, “…NICE Systems, [is] another Israeli company with a contract with the British police to handle parts of their investigations. NICE Systems also holds a contract in <a href="https://insidetelecom.com/facial-recognition-technology-and-how-its-being-used/">Scotland for facial recognition in CCTV</a>.&#8221;</p>



<p>A <a href="https://www.met.police.uk/foi-ai/metropolitan-police/disclosure-2023/december-2023/training-exchanged-mps-israel-police/">freedom of information request </a>asking “Has the Met Police run training or exchange programmes with Israel&#8217;s police or military from 2020 to present?” received the following reply from the government:</p>



<p>“Confirming or denying that…information is held relating to the types of training, meetings and exchange programmes provided to other countries between The Metropolitan Police Service and the Israeli Police, Israeli Civil Administration or Israeli Defence Forces between 2014-present, would provide terrorists with a greater understanding of where specific training and exchange programmes are provided…In a partial answer to your first and third answer, On Wednesday 18 May 2022, <strong>the Met&#8217;s Central East Command Unit hosted an Israeli police delegation</strong>.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/flag-7527081_1920-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30825" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/flag-7527081_1920-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/flag-7527081_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/flag-7527081_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/flag-7527081_1920-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/flag-7527081_1920-600x400.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/flag-7527081_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/pix-off-26199248/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=7527081">No Way</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=7527081">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p><a href="https://www.met.police.uk/foi-ai/metropolitan-police/d/august-2022/central-east-command-unit-hosting-an-israeli-police-delegation/">Further information reveals that</a> “The purpose of the visit from the Israeli Police delegation was so they could learn from the MPS about how we work with communities…Policing authorities rely on international co-operation when combatting crime, particularly that which is cross-border in scope.” <a href="https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/disclosure_2022/august_2022/central-east-command-unit-hosting-an-israeli-police-delegation.pdf">A meeting was held</a> at Stoke Newington Police Station. An official redacted PDF disclosed <strong>an agenda concerning the policing of “Faith and Hate Crime”</strong> and <strong>“Policing COVID”</strong> and centred on “Community Key stakeholders and partners”. <a href="https://crystalroof.co.uk/report/ward/stoke-newington-hackney/demographics">Stoke Newington</a> (an area in the northwest part of the London Borough of Hackney) has a high white demographic with black and other ethnic minorities, and a history of <a href="https://pasttense.co.uk/2021/07/03/three-days-of-rioting-kick-off-in-dalston-and-stoke-newington-1981/">police brutality</a> against minorities, suspicious deaths, and alleged police cover-ups. &#8220;<strong>Stoke</strong> <strong>Newington</strong> Police Station in Hackney, east London, was infamous in the 1980s and 1990s for police corruption and <strong>racism</strong>,..&#8221; according to <a href="https://socialistworker.co.uk/in-depth/crooked-cops-a-century-of-bribes-beatings-and-bungs-from-the-british-police/">Socialist Worker</a> in a very revealing article where the behaviour London police forces echoes violent law enforcement tactics of Israel that for years has <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2024/8/21/israeli-police-beat-ultra-orthodox-jewish-protesters-to-disperse-them">brutalised Jews</a> and <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/6/12/how-the-us-and-israel-exchange-tactics-in-violence-and-control">Palestinians</a>.</p>



<p>Further involvements with Israel have been disclosed by <a href="https://aoav.org.uk/2025/the-mod-admits-its-currently-training-a-limited-number-of-israeli-defense-forces-in-the-uk/">aoav.org.uk</a>. “<strong>The UK government has confirmed it is actively training Israeli soldiers on British soil</strong>…[casting] fresh light on Britain’s ongoing military relationship with Israel amid continued conflict in Gaza and military escalation in southern Lebanon….Dr Iain Overton, Executive Director of Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), said: “The UK’s training of Israeli forces during a period of alleged war crimes raises serious questions of moral complicity. <strong>The British public deserves transparency</strong> when our armed forces are directly engaged with a military accused of violations that have left thousands of civilians dead.”</p>



<p>Other links to Israel influencing UK police are reflected in a report by Global Research, concerning the policing of 7/7 bombings in London, which can be <a href="https://www.globalresearch.ca/british-cops-trained-in-israel/732">read here</a>.</p>



<p><strong>What power do Israeli tech firms have over police in the US?</strong></p>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2022/02/14/new-york-facial-recognition-surveillance-puts-minorities-at-risk-says-amnesty/">Forbes</a>, “If you’re in New York City today, there’s a very good chance your face will be captured by surveillance cameras and run through facial recognition software. If you’re in a predominantly Black, Asian or Hispanic community in New York City, that chance is even greater.” Forbes also highlights “…the NYPD’s purchase of more than $277 million in secret surveillance equipment that had previously been hidden from the public.” According to incarcernation.com, since 2012, the NYPD has a “strategic partnership” with Israel, “…focused on counterterrorism, urban warfare, and crowd control.”</p>



<p><a href="https://truthlytics.com/from-palestine-to-the-nypd-how-israeli-military-tactics-are-shaping-american-policing/">truthlytics.com</a> goes further, “The <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/article/7d94f01356e74c94b5733f4466e10c48">NYPD</a>, one of the largest and most well-funded police departments in the world, has long faced criticism for its use of excessive force and discriminatory policing, particularly in communities of color. These patterns of behavior, critics argue, echo the tactics used by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in the occupied West Bank and Gaza—ranging from mass surveillance to brutal crowd control techniques.”</p>



<p><strong>NYPD: employing Israeli technologies and approaches</strong></p>



<p>In the US, policing approaches are influenced by Israel. We may recall that Israel’s NICE Systems has a contract with the British police to handle parts of their investigations and holds a contract in <a href="https://insidetelecom.com/facial-recognition-technology-and-how-its-being-used/">Scotland for facial recognition in CCTV</a>. <a href="https://www.supplychainmarket.com/doc/nice-wins-9m-contract-from-new-york-city-for-0001">Supply Chain Market </a>in 2007 reported that “NICE Systems Ltd., the global provider of advanced solutions that enable organizations to extract Insight from Interactions to drive performance, recently announced that it has won a $9M contract from the City of New York (NYC), on behalf of the New York Police Department (NYPD) for <strong>NICE Inform, multimedia incident information management solution</strong> for its next generation 9-1-1 emergency call centers…NICE Inform will enable the City to capture, manage, analyze and reconstruct multimedia incidents.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/police-car-2846867_1920-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30827" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/police-car-2846867_1920-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/police-car-2846867_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/police-car-2846867_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/police-car-2846867_1920-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/police-car-2846867_1920-600x400.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/police-car-2846867_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/artisticoperations-4161274/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=2846867">F. Muhammad</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=2846867">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-08-23/ty-article/.premium/new-york-mayor-vows-to-bring-what-hes-learned-from-israel-police-back-to-the-nypd/0000018a-2369-df73-a5eb-7b79f9de0000">haaretz.com</a>, in 2023, “<strong>New York City Mayor Eric Adams lauded security technology developed by Israel Police</strong>…<strong>vowing to bring Israeli tech to the New York Police Department</strong>.” moguldom.com reported in 2022 that, “Crime has increased by 23.5 percent in New York City during New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ first year in office, and the former cop-turned-mayor — a fan of facial recognition technology — is promising to implement new policing technology that he said <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/24/eric-adams-policing-technology-new-york-00075359">more accurately identifies common criminal patterns and develops profiles of perpetrators</a>….Adams has promoted the use of cameras and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/08/adams-police-surveillance-technology-00006230">championed facial recognition devices…</a>&#8220;</p>



<p>Adams said in an interview with Politico. “…Big Brother is protecting you.” Albert Fox Cahn, head of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, said, “The NYPD has a decade-long history of abusing its surveillance operations to target Black New Yorkers, Muslim New Yorkers, political protests and every aspect of dissent,” <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/24/eric-adams-policing-technology-new-york-00075359">Cahn said</a>. “These are technologies that would be chilling in anyone’s hands. But to give an agency with such a horrifying record of surveillance abuse even more power, at a time when they face dwindling oversight, is a recipe for disaster.” <a href="https://moguldom.com/432073/nyc-cop-mayor-eric-adams-on-facial-recognition-tech-big-brother-is-protecting-you/">Source</a>.</p>



<p><strong>Howard syndrome and rejection of technological tyranny</strong></p>



<p>It is interesting to hear a Jewish perspective concerning the brutality of Israel&#8217;s regime (now influencing our governments and police). In Israel as any society, there are those who are authoritarian and corrupt, and those who want peace and to denounce tyranny. The Israeli historian <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/shlomo-sand">Shlomo Sand </a> asks, “Is not the very fact of defining oneself as a Jew within the State of Israel an act of affiliation to <strong>a privileged caste which creates intolerable injustices around itself</strong>?” <a href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/shlomo-sand">Source</a>.</p>



<p>Sand&#8217;s observation of a &#8220;priveleged caste&#8221; that &#8220;creates intolerable injustices around itself&#8221; evokes the actions of our governments too, which are always employing deeper surveillance and eroding human rights, which can lead to brutality and racism.</p>



<p>In the UK, we are experiencing technological authoritarianism through the new Labour Party. It is almost a replay of the authoritarian zeal exhibited by the UK’s Home Office under Conservative Home Secretary <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Howard">Michael Howard</a>, an authoritarian figure who imposed expensive CCTV installations all over the UK, pursued a National ID card scheme, and established controversial DNA databases in the 1990’s.</p>



<p>Britain, under successive  Labour governments, interestingly, has inherited that &#8220;vision&#8221;, which takes on a notable complexion through Starmer&#8217;s &#8220;vision&#8221; of &#8220;<a href="https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-put-ai-veins-nation-30768593">Putting AI into the veins of Britain</a>&#8220;. What did Howard do that Starmer continues to ardently pursue? He pursues a CCTV, ID-based police state.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="678" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/camera-3762055_1920-1024x678.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30820" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/camera-3762055_1920-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/camera-3762055_1920-300x199.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/camera-3762055_1920-768x509.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/camera-3762055_1920-1536x1018.jpg 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/camera-3762055_1920-600x398.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/camera-3762055_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/vjkombajn-764634/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3762055">Miloslav Hamřík</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3762055">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>Howard believed in cutting edge CCTV surveillance technology, operating with racial biases, at the expense of eroding privacy and human rights for society at large, reinforcing the vulnerabilities of minorities in the process. He used technology as a solution, without tackling first the underlying problems influencing crime, like rising unemployment. Technology seemed to be the priority, as now.</p>



<p>Howard established, while neglectful of privacy concerns and consequences for human rights, an intrusive police state in the midst of soaring unemployment and social unrest, which spied on people and held as much information on guilty and innocent alike. Howard, like many progressive politicians and futurists felt human rights policies, an obstacle to his ideals.</p>



<p>Howard felt that the Human Rights Act (which passed in UK law in 1998) and the the Regulations of Investigating Power Act (RIPA) of 2000, (affecting powers of surveillance and communications interception) placed “<a href="https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/default/files/09627250608553017.pdf">inhibitions on the ability of the police to tackle crime effectively</a>” and thought adjustments should be made.</p>



<p>The Home Secretary didn’t entirely get his own way, and some of his policies were successfully legally challenged by the public. An ID card was passionately advocated by Howard, though despite his campaigning, became voluntary, not mandatory.</p>



<p>National ID had faced immense public resistance (a wartime card was abolished in 1952). <a href="https://www.ccn.com/news/technology/britcard-support-grows-uk-digital-identity/">CCN</a> reports that &#8220;In the past, when the government tried to centralize the U.K.’s national identity system, it was met with stiff opposition.” From 2006 to 2010 as more mandatory ID card schemes were being planned, thankfully, public resistance stopped them.</p>



<p><strong>Resurfacing, over and over</strong></p>



<p>The ID card idea constantly resurfaces. The government has been keen to calm fears concerning the Digital ID agenda. According to <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-use-and-access-bill-factsheets/data-use-and-access-bill-factsheet-making-lives-easier">www.gov.uk</a>, “No, there are no plans to introduce national digital ID cards…Using a digital identity will be voluntary. People will be in control of their data and who it is shared with…People will still be able to prove their identity using physical documents if they choose.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="600" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-20.55.12-1024x600.png" alt="" class="wp-image-30229" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-20.55.12-1024x600.png 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-20.55.12-300x176.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-20.55.12-768x450.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-20.55.12-600x352.png 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-20.55.12.png 1066w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Government source: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-use-and-access-bill-factsheets/data-use-and-access-bill-factsheet-making-lives-easier">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-use-and-access-bill-factsheets/data-use-and-access-bill-factsheet-making-lives-easier</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>However, according to <a href="https://enablingdigitalidentity.blog.gov.uk/2025/06/20/uk-digital-identity-legislation-passes-another-important-milestone/">enablingdigitalidentity.blog.gov.uk,</a> “On 19 June [2025], the&nbsp;<a href="https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3825">Data (Use and Access) Act</a>&nbsp;received Royal Assent.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-data-laws-will-make-life-easier-for-british-people-cutting-life-admin-easing-traffic-and-speeding-up-roadworks">As well as putting the National Underground Asset Register on a statutory footing and supporting the future of smart data schemes…</a>The new UK legislation formalises the system that is currently operating as a pilot. This will pave the way for trusted digital identities to be used in more places.” According to <a href="https://www.thinkdigitalpartners.com/news/2024/04/18/the-key-concerns-slowing-digital-id-adoption-in-the-uk/">thinkdigitalpartners.com</a>, “and has set <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-science-innovation-and-technology-areas-of-research-interest/dsit-areas-of-research-interest-2024#evidence-needs-by-policy-area">digital ID as a key focus area for 2024</a>. It will be a critical part of the UK’s national infrastructure.”</p>



<p><a href="https://www.labourtogether.uk/all-reports/britcard">Labour Together have stated</a>, Britcard &#8220;could lay the foundations for a fully-functioning digital identity system&#8230;building on the existing One Login and <a href="https://mobileidworld.com/uk-government-announces-gov-uk-digital-id-wallet-launch-for-2025-2/">Gov.UK Wallet</a>. Our polling suggests it would be immensely popular; around 80% of the public support use of digital identity for a range of use cases.&#8221; The aim is to &#8220;&#8230;rebrand the Gov.UK App and Gov.UK Wallet as the “BritCard app”&#8221;. That is, to make Britcard from an existing placeholder entity, the Gov.UK App and Gov.UK Wallet being the &#8220;Trojan Horse&#8221; that was always meant to bring in a mandatory Digital ID.</p>



<p><strong>Criticism</strong></p>



<p>“Britcard”, was criticised by <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/labour-id-plans-could-usher-171654460.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAK8vPjRkT0eJUWCSDCPMEZnZefiFKUNGXhJU0DEx2Pih_2V6wUTehKfKxMAD42KscFC720NCKsDL2R-LQSTJU_HVmat1gd5brjPqvTsAbm2zzdwqkWWoY28eS9MlKc4NSx1cyn_wlU-KAi5jbt3SuD9E1CUH3saELX0Fz7ldoCob">David Frost (who served as a Minister of State at the Cabinet Office between March and December 2021)</a> who believes, “A normal ID card, bad as it is, is proof of your identity and status. <strong>A digital ID is also an instrument of control – because it can shape-shift according to the government’s wishes.</strong> That’s why introducing digital ID is to cross a Rubicon. It changes forever the relationship between government and citizen….Think back.</p>



<p>Have we forgotten the lessons of the pandemic, when we all had to have proof of our Covid test status on our phone before we could go certain places or access certain buildings? Briefly, at the end of 2021 – the issue that finally forced me to resign from the Cabinet – we introduced a “vaccine passport” system, which actually denied you access to certain environments unless you had a full vaccination record. This was all done via an app – in effect a digital ID. The government could change the conditions at will and you had no choice but to comply.”</p>



<p>Frost has a point, and as the World Health Organisation and other &#8220;Stakeholders&#8221; in the smart future relish achieving more gains with more powers, from mining our data, including the police and governments dismissive of concerns over AI ethics and the insecurity of our data.</p>



<p><strong>A stake in the heart of freedom and privacy</strong></p>



<p>People must not forget how controlling governments can be, obsessively, ideologically. With xenophobic overtones, Britcard has been sold in the UK on the basis of an “us and them” proposition, reinforcing “discrimination” to help &#8220;sort out&#8221; a persistent problem, namely the UK’s problematic Immigration crisis, that feasibly could have been prevented or managed in other ways beyond the scope of a “Digital ID solution”. Certainly, all the CCTV money could buy wasn&#8217;t enough.</p>



<p>“Today, police surveillance cameras <a href="https://www.c-ville.com/youre-being-watched-police-quietly-deploy-cameras-near-public-housing/">disproportionately</a> installed in Black and Brown neighborhoods [in the US] keep a constant watch” just as do they in the UK. According to National News, the “United Kingdom has the dubious honour of <strong>having the most CCTV cameras per head of any country in the world</strong>; the British Security Industry Authority has claimed that there is <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/10172298/One-surveillance-camera-for-every-11-people-in-Britain-says-CCTV-survey.html">one camera for every 11-14 people</a>.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="679" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/man-5946820_1920-1024x679.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30837" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/man-5946820_1920-1024x679.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/man-5946820_1920-300x199.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/man-5946820_1920-768x510.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/man-5946820_1920-1536x1019.jpg 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/man-5946820_1920-600x398.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/man-5946820_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/tumisu-148124/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=5946820">Tumisu</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=5946820">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/fundamental/mass-surveillance-snoopers-charter/">Liberty</a>, the UK is “most intrusive mass surveillance regime of any democratic country.” With smart phones requiring mandatory status to make a national, mandatory Digital ID function, one smart phone to every person linking them to their digital self, would spell a definitive blow against freedom.</p>



<p>Big Tech and countless other corporate entities want your data, more of it than you can imagine, and Digital ID would serve it up without any problems through every QR code scanned to prove you exist. This enhanced data grab will not solve immigration and will more likely exclude large swathes of the population who rightfully live here, as happens in repressive regimes where any individual, or minority, suspected of dissent or any not acting as the government demands can be digitally disempowered, or, disappeared.</p>



<p>As <a href="https://www.salzburgglobal.org/news/latest-news/article/between-progress-and-exclusion-the-human-rights-challenges-of-digital-id">salzburgglobal.org</a> observes, &#8220;&#8230;the developing world has seen the rise of&#8230;.<strong>national digital identity</strong> systems, promoted by the <a href="https://id4d.worldbank.org/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Bank</a>&#8230;not enough is done to shield privacy, embed protection safeguards&#8230;The implementation of Digital ID is a <a href="https://chrgj.org/2022-06-paving-digital-road-to-hell/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">high risk territory</a> for human rights.&#8221; This article lists some excellent cases that describe why. It covers developing countries and Digital ID issues, but could the same &#8220;issues&#8221; happen in the UK? Or US?</p>



<p>Most likely, they will. Because, &#8220;Digital IDs, especially those that integrate biometric data, can be used to track individuals&#8217; movements, purchases, and online activities without their knowledge or consent. Governments may also unduly target specific individuals, using Digital ID <a href="https://www.codastory.com/surveillance-and-control/pakistan-biometric-identification-nadra/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blockage</a> or other methods as a weapon against political opponents or vulnerable groups such as <a href="https://www.dejusticia.org/litigation/anulacion-de-documentos-a-personas-colombo-venezolanas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">migrants</a>.&#8221; We know this is happening already.</p>



<p><strong>Collecting information without limits</strong></p>



<p>As the UK government becomes increasingly autocratic and presents technology as the solution for everything, UK citizens should thoroughly question the motivations behind any Digital ID proposition, especially as the government goes to great lengths to erode data privacy, and becomes more repressive.</p>



<p>The UK now has the “Snooper’s Charter” to assist in massive datamining. As <a href="https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/fundamental/mass-surveillance-snoopers-charter/">Liberty</a> asserts, the Snooper’s Charter allows “State authorities to collect information about everything we do and say online and order private companies to store it…[with] wide-ranging powers to scoop up and store all of our emails, texts, calls, location data and internet history. They can also hack into our phones and computers and create large ‘personal datasets’ on us – all without needing to suspect us of any criminal wrongdoing.” It has many implications for UK citizens, leaving nothing private.</p>



<p>A Digital ID system can only add to this concerted effort for government and corporate stakeholders to control and own data on the population. Clearly this goes well beyond any Immigration policies and drives a stake into the heart of freedom and privacy for all.</p>



<p>That our governments and police enlist the tactical help of Israel (viewed by many as an ideological, repressive regime) has been revealed and can&#8217;t be left out of the current political technological situation in which we find ourselves.</p>



<p>The Jewish historian <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/shlomo-sand-jews-and-palestinians-we-have-no-choice-we-will-have-live-together">Schlomo Sand</a> is critical of that regime. Of it, he says Zionism, “&#8230;was an ideology&nbsp;deeply rooted in&nbsp;a European vision of the nation-state, one which had a racial dimension, required a demographic majority and was permeated&nbsp;by European colonialism and orientalist thinking.”</p>



<p>Arguably, Israel is marred by exlusionist politics, with colonialist baggage. Exclusionist politics reinforce the &#8220;digital colonialism&#8221; at work in Israel and across the world, which includes campaigns involving smart technologies and biometrics databases, moving towards achieving Digital ID. Politicians and the media so often highlighting border control and other immigration issues seek to drive support of Digital ID, often in <strong>divisive language</strong>. Keir Starmer, for instance, in relation to immigration issues warned of an &#8220;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj3rxrg2pnjo">island of strangers</a>&#8220;.</p>



<p>Digital ID is being <a href="https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/european-digital-identity_en">implemented at scale in the EU</a> &#8220;mandating compliance from <strong>Big</strong> <strong>Tech</strong> and member countries in supporting the <strong>EU</strong> <strong>Digital</strong> Identity (EUDI) Wallet&#8221;) <a href="https://reclaimthenet.org/eus-controversial-digital-id-mandating-big-tech-compliance-by-2026">Source</a>. &#8220;Many countries have already announced wallet project and pilots, and some have even rolled out production digital ID wallets at population scale.&#8221; <a href="https://identityweek.net/18-months-to-launch-is-europe-ready-for-the-eu-digital-id-wallet/">Source</a>.</p>



<p>Digital IDs can bring many risks worth noting. According to <a href="https://reclaimthenet.org/eus-controversial-digital-id-mandating-big-tech-compliance-by-2026">Reclaim the Net</a>, &#8220;&#8230;<strong>these IDs are susceptible to hacking and identity theft</strong>, placing individuals at risk of financial and reputation damage. Often, citizens are coerced into participating without genuine consent, and <strong>the lack of transparency and oversight</strong> in these systems increases the risk of misuse.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="529" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.59.38-1024x529.png" alt="" class="wp-image-30903" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.59.38-1024x529.png 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.59.38-300x155.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.59.38-768x397.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.59.38-600x310.png 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-12-at-22.59.38.png 1167w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: <a href="https://reclaimthenet.org/eus-controversial-digital-id-mandating-big-tech-compliance-by-2026">Reclaim the Net</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<p><strong>Digital colonialism</strong></p>



<p>Michael Kwet, observing the strategies of domination waged through digital technologies, states, “&#8230;just as they did in 20th-century South Africa, <strong>today’s largest U.S.-based technology corporations</strong> see an opportunity to profit from Israeli apartheid—a by-product of U.S.-driven <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3232297">digital colonialism</a>.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="667" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/chess-3578166_1920-1024x667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30845" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/chess-3578166_1920-1024x667.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/chess-3578166_1920-300x195.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/chess-3578166_1920-768x500.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/chess-3578166_1920-1536x1001.jpg 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/chess-3578166_1920-600x391.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/chess-3578166_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/_alicja_-5975425/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3578166">Alicja</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3578166">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>Author <a href="https://autonomy.work/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Avila.pdf">Renata Avila</a>, also recognises that we are living in times of “digital colonialism” “referring to the deployment of imperial power over a vast number of people, which takes the form of rules, designs, languages, cultures and belief systems serving the interests of dominant powers. In the past, empires expanded their power through the control of critical assets, from trade routes to precious metals.&#8221;</p>



<p>Big Tech has long been under scrutiny over its “conflict minerals” supply chains from oppressed, developing colonies in countries like the <a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/12552/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/">Democratic Republic of the Congo</a>, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia and Angola. Big Tech companies have regularly been accused of <strong>complicity in slavery and abuse of ethnic labour forces,</strong> as well as fuelling conflict, and assisting repressive regimes. This represents racial abuse in order to achieve infrastructure targets, and technological supremacy in global geopolitics.</p>



<p>Author <a href="https://autonomy.work/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Avila.pdf">Renata Avila</a>, asserts that, &#8220;Today, it is not states but technology empires that dominate the world through the control of critical digital infrastructures, data and the ownership of computational power. By collecting the personal data of citizens on a scale unprecedented in human history, companies can serve as conduits of misinformation campaigns that can alter the flow of global geopolitics and even change the outcome of elections.”</p>



<p>According to <a href="https://www.europeandatajournalism.eu/cp_data_news/how-big-tech-influence-electoral-processes-and-why-transparency-is-essential/">www.europeandatajournalism.eu</a>, &#8220;Far from the free and open platforms they were upon their inception, Big Tech companies and social networks have risen to an unprecedented level of power from which <strong>they play an active role in politics through vested financial and political motives</strong>, exerting influence through algorithmic alterations, subjective censorship and calls to action on their platforms.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>For control of everyone’s data</strong></p>



<p>The “….emerging trend of data colonialism (Couldry &amp; Mejias, 2019) is of critical importance given the fundamental reliance of AI technologies on data, and because organizations gain access to, control data, and develop algorithms in ways which not only emphasize the digital divide but increase data inequality (Zheng &amp; Walsham, 2021). <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1471772723000325">Source</a>.</p>



<p>“Data colonialism” according to Ulises A. Mejias and Nick Couldry in their book <em>Data Grab</em> is “the continuation of colonialism’s inherited inequalities and colonialism’s acquisition of new tools that potentially affects human life in radically new ways…&#8221; This &#8220;toolset&#8221; which exploits data-driven surveillance enables the companies to “explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate.” As<a href="https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/data-colonialism--and-the-political-economy-of-big-tech"> lawfaremedia.org</a> highlights from Mejias and Couldry&#8217;s research, data colonialism facilitates &#8220;the [harmful] classification of people into disadvantageous categories”.</p>



<p>Today, the UK government is arguably advancing data colonialism&#8217;s harms by pushing ahead with a Digital ID “with major financial and tech companies, government agencies and regulators and the likes of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, among the prominent forces behind the push…”, according to <a href="https://reclaimthenet.org/k-digital-company-id-prototype-fintech-regulation">Reclaim The Net</a>.</p>



<p><a href="https://enablingdigitalidentity.blog.gov.uk/2025/05/30/digital-identity-and-the-gov-uk-wallet-increasing-choice-accelerating-adoption/">The UK government </a>sees digital identity as “one of the cornerstones of a modern digital economy [a surveillance economy]” and seeks to promote adoption of “these secure and trusted [data-mining] technologies.” Digital ID remains a controversial idea, for many reasons. As Rebecca Vincent of Big Brother Watch points out, “The debate about digital ID isn’t really about immigration; it’s about access to, and control of everyone’s data.” <a href="https://www.ccn.com/news/technology/britcard-support-grows-uk-digital-identity/">Source</a>.</p>



<p><strong>Case of digitally-assisted genocide</strong></p>



<p>We know now that the UK&#8217;s ID initiative is called “Britcard”. Marketing an ID system to the public has always been a challenge of governments, and in recent times the public has become divided over immigration which relates to UK government inolvement in more overseas war efforts (colonialism) whicle the public reaps the refugee crisis (fuelling data-driven suerveillance at home).</p>



<p>With datamining becoming so expansive and intrusive, and, with governments and other agencies like the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and Big Tech pushing for Digital IDs in the UK (which can link together numerous datasets including biometric data), are any of these corporate political actors really acting in our best interests, and, if not, are they able to be held legally accountable if found aiding and abetting genocide, through abuse of our data, for example? Is a Big Tech company able to be held accountable if discovered complicit in the killing of citizens?</p>



<p><strong>You might be shocked to know the answer</strong>&#8230;</p>



<p>Michael J. Kelly, Professor of Law at Creighton University School of Law states in “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/26730">Prosecuting Corporations for Genocide</a>”, that, “While corporations can realize enormous profits from such complicity [in genocide], <strong>they are immune from international prosecution in The Hague…As key participants in the world economy, corporations have been accorded tremendous latitude and granted extensive rights…</strong>If a state or a person commits genocide, they are punished. International law demands such. But corporate actors have successfully avoided this through an array of legal arguments…”</p>



<p>  Kelly makes it clear that, “while multinational corporations have been complicit in genocides over many years, <strong>none have been prosecuted</strong>.” <a href="https://journals.law.harvard.edu/lpr/wp-content/uploads/sites/89/2013/06/Prosecuting-Corporations-for-Genocide-Under-International-Law.pdf">Source</a>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="410" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/index-finger-4058861_1920-1024x410.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30839" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/index-finger-4058861_1920-1024x410.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/index-finger-4058861_1920-300x120.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/index-finger-4058861_1920-768x307.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/index-finger-4058861_1920-1536x614.jpg 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/index-finger-4058861_1920-600x240.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/index-finger-4058861_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4058861">Gerd Altmann</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4058861">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>Today Big Tech companies, assisted by US and UK support, together are an asset to Israel supplying high-tech data driven systems and weapons. International condemnation grows over what is clearly a case of AI fuelled, biometrical oriented techno-genocide against the Palestinian people – demonstrating that this could, and most likely will, happen again.</p>



<p>There is plenty of historical precedence for utmost caution regarding National ID programs, and especially regarding trusting Big Tech with any data on the population.</p>



<p><strong>Blast from the past</strong></p>



<p>According to the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/328/7436/411.2.full">British Medical Journal</a>, &#8220;Eugenics is too frequently overlooked in histories of both the United States and Europe, even though the story is a fascinating and important one.&#8221; Social changes brought about by <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/eugenics/">Eugenics</a> and “Big Tech” in the US fascinated the Nazi regime which aquired IBM&#8217;s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabulating_machine">Hollerith Machines</a>, (punch card computer systems) being used in America (which gave the US government important population data and assisted in evolving “the quantified self” (a being defined by computers and collected data)).</p>



<p>Collecting population data with Hollerith Machines, the US of the 1930s was steeped in eugenics (a &#8220;racist&#8221; pseudo-science). At this time Americans performed the “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellamy_salute">Bellamy salute</a>” that inspired the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_salute">Nazi salute</a>, and sought to oppress black communities, (leading to discrimination and sterilisation programs inflicted on Blacks and minorities which ultimately gave rise to pushback and the civil rights movement years after the Second World War).</p>



<p><a href="https://ibmandtheholocaust.com/">With IBM’s assistance</a>, the fascist government of Nazi Germany exploited stratified datasets on the public sorting people into groups. According to historian <a href="https://ibmandtheholocaust.com/about-ibm-and-holocaust">Edwin Black</a>, &#8220;IBM technology was used to organize nearly everything in Germany and then Nazi Europe, from the identification of the Jews in censuses, registrations, and ancestral tracing programs to the running of railroads and organizing of concentration camp slave labor.&#8221;</p>



<p>In Nazi Germany, segments of the populace simply had no right to live and were considered by the eugenicist technocracy as “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_unworthy_of_life">life unworthy of life</a>”. Nazism fuelled social divides, fanned flames of hate, and facilitated euthanasia programs like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aktion_T4">Aktion T4</a>, organised round-ups of targeted populations, and “discretely” sterilising selected groups. All was the result of enforced structural racism by “supremacists” using eugenics and technology hand in hand to re-organise society along technocratic lines – with much of it financed by US corporations. Nothing has changed, today Big Tech still assists and profits from apartheid regimes and exploiting data in ways that create harmful discrimination, which conforms with a technocratic, eugenicist outlook.</p>



<p><strong>Dehumanisation into data points</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="725" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-10.40.52-1024x725.png" alt="" class="wp-image-30291" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-10.40.52-1024x725.png 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-10.40.52-300x212.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-10.40.52-768x544.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-10.40.52-600x425.png 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-10.40.52.png 1193w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">&#8220;During the genocide in 1994, ID’s were used to identify Tutsi at roadblocks, work places and eventually massively murdering them.&#8221; <a href="https://www.ktpress.rw/2015/07/the-passport-to-death-story-of-rwandas-notorious-id/">Source</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<p>We may remember the Rwandan genocide, characterised by the use of data to eliminate people. As KTPress reports, <a href="https://www.ktpress.rw/2015/07/the-passport-to-death-story-of-rwandas-notorious-id/">Rwanda saw genocide facilitated by National ID data</a>. Despite the &#8220;hard lesson&#8221;, today, as reported by <a href="https://www.biometricupdate.com/202505/rwanda-launching-digital-identity-biometrics-enrollment-with-8-5m-budget">Biometric Update</a>, &#8220;The government of Rwanda is investing 12.2 billion Rwandan francs (approximately US$8.5 million) in the upcoming 2025-2026 fiscal year to advance the rollout of the nation’s digital identity program, including fingerprint and iris biometrics enrollment.&#8221; <a href="https://www.ktpress.rw/2025/06/tech-emerges-as-second-biggest-contributor-to-rwandas-growth/">KTPress reports that</a>, &#8220;<strong>At the World Economic Forum</strong>, Minister Ingabire announced that Rwanda expects AI to contribute up to 6% of GDP in the near future.&#8221; Turning people into data points is the future, in the context of the Internet of Things (IoT), a system connecting everyone to an infrastructure of smart technology.</p>



<p>Anasuya Sengupta, Fellow at the <a href="https://www.bosch-stiftung.de/en/storys/justice/internet-injustice-prejudice">Robert Bosch Academy</a> and co-director and co-founder of &#8220;<a href="https://whoseknowledge.org/">Whose Knowledge</a>?&#8221; addressing issues of power, privilege, and accessibility, states that, “…the Internet not only helps to promote solidarity and connect people in different places, but also reinforces existing injustice, discrimination, and violence. Technology and algorithms are not neutral, they are political. Technology follows a certain architecture, which is why it reinforces discrimination and prejudice &#8211; depending on who designs it…the majority of the world is not represented on the Internet…<strong>People have turned from consumers into data points &#8211; and therefore into products.</strong>”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="675" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-13.07.55-1024x675.png" alt="" class="wp-image-30446" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-13.07.55-1024x675.png 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-13.07.55-300x198.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-13.07.55-768x506.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-13.07.55-600x395.png 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-11-at-13.07.55.png 1061w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Central Command Platform &#8220;for AI Governance&#8221; shows people as datapoints on a smart phone. &#8220;Leveraging a Large Language Model trained on the most consequential predictive data, the Central Command Platform identifies with state-of-the-art accuracy the most likely and urgent risks, and also plans to prevent them&#8230;we’re ushering in a new era of Command and Control&#8221;  <a href="https://www.centralcommand.com/">Source</a>. </figcaption></figure>



<p>Ulises A. Mejias and Professor Nick Couldry from the State University of New York in their book “Data Grab” show that little has really changed since the Nazis or Rwandan governments exploited machine data, as technological empires utlising the IoT “…explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate”. In an <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/medialse/2020/03/19/colonising-ourselves-an-introduction-to-data-colonialism/">interview with the London School of Economics (LSE</a>) Couldry explained that, “human experience, potentially every layer and aspect of it, is becoming the target of profitable extraction.”</p>



<p><strong>Demand the end of Digital ID</strong></p>



<p>From the UK to Ukraine, and from the past to the present, we can see what is becoming of our world. Through intrusive forms of smart surveillance allied to military-style policing, the streets of some cities are becoming technological, data-gathering warzones.</p>



<p>In this authoritarian atmosphere, of technological &#8220;supremacism&#8221; <strong>smart phones</strong> – as demanded by industry and governments, for Digital ID-based digital transformations – <strong>are gravitating towards becoming</strong> <strong>mandatory devices</strong>. This is to guarantee one&#8217;s very existence, and, extract the profitability of one&#8217;s identity, with AI algorithms that contain uncomfortable biases and are known to be highly discriminatory.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="684" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/teenager-5842706_1920-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30841" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/teenager-5842706_1920-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/teenager-5842706_1920-300x200.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/teenager-5842706_1920-768x513.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/teenager-5842706_1920-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/teenager-5842706_1920-600x401.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/teenager-5842706_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/ottawagraphics-3815775/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=5842706">Ana Krach</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=5842706">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>This trajectory, <strong>devoid of any ethical oversight</strong>, promotes the predatory data-mining environment of the Big Tech companies and other corporate &#8220;stakeholders&#8221; exploiting the unfettered digital monitoring of everyone&#8217;s lives. This is life in a &#8220;surveillance economy&#8221; powered by &#8220;Digital Colonialism&#8221; – which operates to the benefit of dominant powers while limiting individual autonomy.</p>



<p><strong>This AI-driven digital colonialism amounts to unprecedented surveillance of the population, or “datafication” driven by profit, where corporations and governments claim ownership of data generated by individuals. Nobody owns their data, or knows for sure how it may ultimately affect their lives.</strong></p>



<p>As I said at the start,<strong> the prospect of a national Digital ID should amplify myriad questions</strong>, highlighting, in addition to any notions of convenience, the inescapable darker sides, that we dismiss at our peril.</p>



<p>With <a href="https://www.emrsa.co.za/first-officially-recognized-case-of-the-functional-impairment-electrohypersensitivity-in-south-africa/">wireless radiation still posing a threat to black and white communities alike</a> – in terms of posing a health risk – as well as being the means by which data is conveyed to empower <a href="https://thebulletin.org/2024/06/how-ai-surveillance-threatens-democracy-everywhere/">the AI-surveillance society we never wanted</a>, we have every reason to <strong>challenge the erosion of our rights</strong> and demand the end of Digital ID which, if made mandatory, brings huge potential to disempower more of our freedoms, choices, and human rights, including activism and protest itself, which will push us further into darkness.</p>
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					<description><![CDATA[Written by Sean Alexander Carney for Safe Tech International • Image by FitNishMedia from Pixabay Smart wearables, associated with &#8220;Digital Health&#8221;, are body-monitoring, data-collecting, wireless devices that interface with the internet and Big Tech companies. We have learned to our cost that the internet isn’t neutral. It “…weaponises neuroscience by using the brain’s reward system...]]></description>
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<p>Written by Sean Alexander Carney for Safe Tech International • Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/fitnishmedia-3116766/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3735862">FitNishMedia</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3735862">Pixabay</a></p>



<p>Smart wearables, associated with &#8220;Digital Health&#8221;, are body-monitoring, data-collecting, wireless devices that interface with the internet and Big Tech companies.</p>



<p>We have learned to our cost that the internet isn’t neutral. It “…weaponises neuroscience by using the brain’s reward system to drive continuous engagement” <a href="https://theconversation.com/technology-may-be-making-us-unhealthy-and-miserable-governments-must-act-now-114646">Source</a>. All internet-connecting devices (generally referred to as smart devices) promote addictive behaviours, functioning to inflict a deep, biologically induced, reliance on internet connectivity so we can be isolated and targeted for our data by corporations, government agencies and, often, hackers.</p>



<p>The internet has enabled a culture of digital dependency and further, digital addiction – centered on smart technology. Comforting convenience is part of the addiction and AI automation is further accelerating society’s “dependency” on smart technology, as the virtual reality and wearables industries know.</p>



<p><strong>&#8220;Health&#8221; move?</strong></p>



<p>Health and Human Services Secretary <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-F-Kennedy-Jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a> in the US is promoting such a dependency, recently advocating all US citizens invest in wearables to improve health. This type of initiative chimes with the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has a “Digital Health” agenda that encourages smartphones and wearables, devices that give up troves of health and other data to corporations. The US is <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-the-worldhealth-organization/">withdrawing from the WHO</a> but seems determined to take advantage of digital health. But is it about health? As <a href="https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/biometrics-industry-report/">startus-insights.com</a> reports, wearables are &#8220;<strong>biometric</strong> technologies [that have] become integral to security, authentication, and identity&#8230;&#8221;</p>



<p>Kennedy&#8217;s move draws attention to data privacy issues, as well as the health issue of radiofrequency exposure. We can only wonder what has led to his advocacy of technology that enables wireless body area network (WBAN) architecture and sensor-based human activity recognition (HAR) which are integral to the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless technology markets associated with the <a href="https://www.internetofbodies.com/">Internet of Bodies (IoB)</a>. These frameworks for smart technology promote deep data acquisition through implants and smart dust, and includes &#8220;<a href="https://www.internetofbodies.com/">&#8230;electronic sensors and computer chips embedded in edible pills</a>&#8220;.</p>



<p><strong>Data sharing</strong></p>



<p><a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/biometrics-industry">Grand View Research</a> reports that &#8220;This <strong>industry</strong> is expected to rise as a result of a number of factors, including strong government initiatives, growing use of contactless <strong>biometric</strong> in context of the pandemic, and expanding usage of face recognition in both public and private sectors.&#8221; </p>



<p>Speaking about facial recognition technology to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/24/eric-adams-policing-technology-new-york-00075359">Politico</a>, Albert Fox Cahn, head of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, said, “The NYPD has a decade-long history of abusing its surveillance operations to target Black New Yorkers, Muslim New Yorkers, political protests and every aspect of dissent,” Cahn said. “These are technologies that would be chilling in anyone’s hands. But to give an agency with such a horrifying record of surveillance abuse even more power, at a time when they face dwindling oversight, is a recipe for disaster.”</p>



<p>There are <strong>biometric</strong> <strong>data</strong> sharing schemes between <strong>police</strong> forces and the private sector. Can we imagine wearables data landing in the hands of the NYPD, for example, adding to their surveillance data?</p>



<p>Has Kennedy been lobbied? After all, stakes are high and it&#8217;s a big year for Big Tech companies, and the wearables industry which <a href="https://www.webopedia.com/technology/ai-wearables/">catalyses other industries like AR and even, Neuralink – Elon Musk&#8217;s company</a>. Meta&#8217;s Reality Labs, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/11/24267633/meta-hardware-glasses-quest-andrew-bosworth-interview">according to The Verge</a>, is working on all kinds of wearables, boasting that, “If there’s a part of your body that could potentially host a wearable that could do AI, there’s a good chance we’ve had a team run that down.”</p>



<p>2025 is the year AI is set to transform wearables with “predictive analytics,” and generative AI features. Altogether wearables represents a multi-billion dollar industry that is a critical part of “automating” society, supporting smart cities and harvesting data to influence behaviour as well as health choices.</p>



<p><strong>The data we leave behind, <em>cannot</em> be left behind</strong></p>



<p>Battery-free wearables (smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart rings, and smartglasses) are a class of smart technology that can interface with smart phones and personal computers to collect a variety of data, which is a security concern, especially with data synchronization. According to <a href="https://www2.stetson.edu/advocacy-journal/the-admissibility-of-data-collected-from-wearable-devices/">Stetson Law</a>, “owners may be unaware that the data collected by these devices is discoverable [and <a href="https://www.llrx.com/2015/09/wearable-tech-data-as-evidence-in-the-courtroom/#more-3431">admissible in court</a>].”</p>



<p>Wearables empower <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/here-comes-smart-dust-the-tiny-computers-that-pull-power-from-the-air-1541689224">smart dust technology</a> (tiny sensors using nanotechnology), and 5 GHz backscatter technology that is “a way for a device to communicate with a WiFi router [or a 5G cellular network] by reflecting the very signals it sends out back at it….to send data back and forth” for energy harvesting and efficiency.</p>



<p>Wearables technology is rapidly evolving and collects <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/05/ftc-warns-about-misuses-biometric-information-harm-consumers">biometric data</a>, which is highly valued by Big Tech firms and governments that can use these datasets, working in concert, to support controversial immigration policies, for example. Today, <a href="https://thedebrief.org/tech-firm-palantirs-government-work-on-data-collection-sparks-new-privacy-fears/">Palantir’s reach into biometric and personal data</a> has become unprecedented, and is raising concerns. According to <a href="https://thedebrief.org/tech-firm-palantirs-government-work-on-data-collection-sparks-new-privacy-fears/">The Debrief</a>, &#8220;the <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/palantir-remains-enigma-wall-street-200939552.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAD50b35tfnhkNgHlfn0KTiMShAdLZ1ZsvJYknAw8ozrfRtjNQmIL6HyPxU4zckQCeKKM0QeW8qNz_49GuulifqumLXOFScQlcJNRew7jZxatQgCDGH6SPunkaN2B8HDkARaXC7VEsOtsh71BsRCltv0-nh3D-87r5uLiGfdgCLWe">enigmatic</a> tech company <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/01/nx-s1-5372776/palantir-tech-contracts-trump">Palantir</a>, co-founded by entrepreneur and venture capitalist Peter Thiel&#8230;has reportedly been contracted to assist in building a centralized database that will contain sensitive personal information on American citizens.&#8221;</p>



<p>People have come to believe that smart devices like wearables can improve wellbeing and may even make people ”smarter”. Though, as <a href="https://www.economicjournal.co.uk/2016/09/is-technology-making-us-smarter/">Economic Journal</a> suggests, “Whether technology makes us smarter or just plain stupid is an ongoing debate. It is a fact that <a href="https://www.economicjournal.co.uk/2016/05/how-the-internet-is-changing-the-human-lifestyle/">current technology changes us</a> – the way we function, perform tasks and think. It also changes the way we obtain and retain knowledge.” As a result, ”…memorising, critical thinking and contemplation are skills we seem to lose.”</p>



<p>This raises additional concerns about reliance on wearables and smart phones, and so we can appreciate that these technologies contradict, in some significant ways, the idea that health, wellbeing or “smartness” are ultimately being reinforced. Only the dependency on such technology is being reinforced, beyond doubt, which is a boon to the smart technology economy. Whether lives are “improved” is a sticky question.</p>



<p>RFK Jr’s recommendation of wearables to citizens is likely to profit Big Tech companies, including the wireless industry, not just in traditional economic terms, but from amassing data and from the ability to monitor populations.</p>



<p><strong>Surprising move</strong></p>



<p>This potentially huge data-grab relating to Digital Health and manouevres towards a &#8220;<a href="https://thedebrief.org/tech-firm-palantirs-government-work-on-data-collection-sparks-new-privacy-fears/">centralized surveillance infrastructure</a>&#8221; involving Big Tech firms like Palantir, represents a surprising move for RFK Jr, whose recommendation of smart wearables also reinforces the idea – challenged by an <a href="https://www.emf-portal.org/en">immense body of research and science</a> – that exposure to radiofrequency emitting devices 24/7 is not a health risk. All of this <a href="https://radiationresearch.org/rfk-jr-and-dr-paul-herouxs-discussion-on-the-future-of-wireless/">seems to represent a massive U-turn for him politically</a>.</p>



<p><strong>Stepping toward Digital ID</strong></p>



<p>A wearable for everyone can also function as a stepping stone to Digital ID, something many Western governments are now obsessed with implementing, and a big reason 5G was implemented. Needless to say, further intrusions into our privacy are on the horizon.</p>



<p>RFK Jr is a political figure who formerly chaired <a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/every-american-wearing-wearable-not-vision-we-share/">The Children&#8217;s Health Defense</a> who had this to say about wearables:</p>



<p>&#8220;We agree that people should be able to monitor their health in innovative ways using the technology they choose. But we do not think the federal government should try to push wearables on every American&#8230;We do not share this vision,” said Miriam Eckenfels, director of the Children’s Health Defense (CHD) Electromagnetic Radiation <a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/electromagnetic-radiation-wireless/">(EMR) &amp; Wireless Program</a>. “Quite the contrary, we oppose governmental pressure to incentivize the widespread use of wearables. They pose serious <a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/emr/emf-wireless-health-impacts/">health</a> risks, especially to children, and they threaten <a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/emr/privacy-and-surveillance/">privacy</a>.”&#8221;</p>



<p>Kennedy has been well-regarded for challenging Big Pharma and the predations of the tech industry. That he is now encouraging 5G smart technology as a health enhancement for all is a development that raises many questions.</p>



<p>RFK Jr, who according to <a href="https://uk.pcmag.com/health-fitness/158754/rfk-jrs-public-health-plan-get-every-american-to-buy-a-wearable-device">pcmag.com</a>, “wants everyone to wear a smartwatch, fitness tracker, or other piece of wearable health tech as part of his &#8220;Make America Healthy Again&#8221; (MAHA) agenda”, is in the “vipers nest” so to speak, immersed in a government culture obsessive about surveillance and now fully infiltrated by Big Tech in the guise of Elon Musk.</p>



<p><strong>Surveillance</strong></p>



<p>There is likely more to Kennedy’s politics than first meets the eye and we can continue to observe. The Trump government certainly has a technological agenda, which reaches all of the way to Israel, and, despite tussles with Musk, the Trump administration continues to “deify” Big Tech as an instrument of American Imperialist domination putting it at the top of the agenda. Since 9/11 and the War on Terror, with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010s_global_surveillance_disclosures">Snowden disclosures</a> following, from the PATRIOT Act, to Facial Recognition Technology (FRTs) rollouts more recently, the US government&#8217;s agenda to “dominate” and surveil populations is relentlessly assisted by Big Tech.</p>



<p>Wearables exemplify Big Tech&#8217;s desire to make smart technology in various guises addictive and ubiquitous in the extraction of data. With <a href="https://web.stanford.edu/~gentzkow/research/DigitalAddiction.pdf">Digital Addiction</a> at an all time high and <a href="https://anythingpolitical.com/the-silent-takeover-how-big-tech-influences-politics/">statesmen siding with Big Tech</a> to promote a society controlled by smart technology from dawn to dusk, there is every indicator that a new Cold War is being waged from inside the White House against citizens who are not onboard with the smart technology agenda, or the political agendas in flow, such as the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2025/06/10/the-wiretap-facial-recognition-amazon-ring-and-surveillance-of-the-la-protests/">ICE controversy</a>, which is also bad news for those on the wrong side of the digital divide.</p>



<p>Technological smart <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance">surveillance</a>, which wearable technologies promote, is giving governments and corporations unprecedented powers over populations. We are reminded of the wisdom of Edward Thurlow, who said, “Corporations have neither bodies to be punished, nor souls to be condemned, they therefore do as they like.”</p>



<p>Corporations and statesmen alike believe they can support <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Tech">Big Tech</a> and &#8220;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5366922-trump-data-sharing-privacy-surveillance/">&#8230;therefore do as they like.</a>&#8221; This is deeply concerning and surveillance agendas have been called out from within the Big Tech companies by employees over recent years.</p>



<p>“I refuse to build technology that powers genocide, apartheid or surveillance.&#8221;<br>– <em>Google Cloud employee</em> (<a href="https://time.com/6964364/exclusive-no-tech-for-apartheid-google-workers-protest-project-nimbus-1-2-billion-contract-with-israel/">protesting at Google&#8217;s role in Project Nimbus</a>)</p>



<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>



<p>Society is becoming very digitally divided. However, we all have an interest in unifying over the issues concerning digitally enabled erosion of privacy and the misuse of data through wearables and other technologies. We must decide what kind of society we are building.</p>



<p>Supporting the proliferation of smart technology is a sure way to entrench surveillance and deter democracy, as well as exacerbate racial discrimination. Is that the future we want?</p>



<p>&#8220;Emerging digital technologies driven by big data and artificial intelligence are entrenching racial inequality, discrimination and intolerance.&#8221;<br>– Tendayi Achiume, <em>UN Special Rapporteur on racism</em></p>



<p>When we are now being told by government officials that biometrics-collecting wearables technology provides an effective means of caring for our health in the 21st century, we have every reason to be cautious. &#8220;<em>Racial biases in the science behind wearable tech</em>&#8221; can prevent &#8220;<em>equitable health care for certain segments of the population</em>&#8220;, as <a href="https://magazine.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2021/05/28/skin-deep-racial-bias-in-wearable-tech/">wesleyan.edu</a> reports.</p>



<p>Nothing from Big Tech is &#8220;neutral&#8221;. Digital health is not neutral. Governments are not being transparent on the issues surrounding Digital Health. We should consider the ultimate consequences of adopting wireless smart technology and wearables, which not only enable further technological agendas for control, they also expose us to wireless radiation, can promote digital addiction, and may expose us to considerable data risks and algorithmic biases that are anything but &#8220;healthy&#8221;.</p>
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		<title>Moss Landing Power Plant Fire &#8211; Tech&#8217;s Wake-Up Call</title>
		<link>https://safetechinternational.org/moss-landing-power-plant-fire-techs-wake-up-call/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2025 22:25:15 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[By Sarah Aminoff of&#160;Safe Tech International Moss Landing Image credit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/652815133743333https://neveragainmosslanding.org Moss Landing, California:&#160; Did you know a huge environmental disaster is unfolding in Northern California which may impact our food supply and wildlife, and is poisoning locals?&#160; Dubbed by Forbes magazine Tech’s “Three-Mile Island” moment, Moss Landing Lithium Power Plant caught on fire January...]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>By Sarah Aminoff of&nbsp;<a href="https://safetechinternational.org/">Safe Tech International</a><br></p>



<p>Moss Landing Image credit: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/652815133743333">https://www.facebook.com/groups/652815133743333</a><br><a href="https://neveragainmosslanding.org">https://neveragainmosslanding.org</a></p>



<p><strong>Moss Landing, California</strong>:&nbsp; <strong>Did you know a huge environmental disaster is unfolding in Northern California which may impact our food supply and wildlife, and is poisoning locals?&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>Dubbed by Forbes magazine Tech’s “Three-Mile Island” moment, Moss Landing Lithium Power Plant caught on fire January 16, 2025. Moss Landing, which houses the world’s largest battery storage facility, burned for five days leaving a toxic plume that reached into agricultural and farmland in Monterey and into two other counties.</p>



<p>After the fire, <a href="https://mlml.sjsu.edu/faculty/ivano-aiello/">Dr. Ivano Aiello</a>, Department Chair at San Jose State&nbsp;University, home of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, discovered at Elkhorn Slough (two miles from the plant) <a href="https://blogs.sjsu.edu/newsroom/2025/scientists-detect-heavy-metals-in-environmentally-sensitive-elkhorn-slough-after-battery-storage-plant-fire/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIkIXxleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHX6MfC_viAn1jvpjPnbuO7bWev5mMS1_NV4hZnLJc9eeSzzGVwb70vLygg_aem_Jx6itXb0Idn-3ZmRgYJ23g">heavy metal toxins</a> at levels 100 to 1,000 times greater than normal soil levels. &nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>80 Percent of 100,000 Batteries Ignited &#8211; Not a “Little Fire”</strong><strong></strong></p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p><em>“</em>These fires are not done yet that they keep reigniting, even just the smallest one can still put toxins in the air,” – warns one local.</p>
</blockquote>



<p>&nbsp;When lithium batteries burned for a week, smoldered for a month, and then reignited, many began questioning why the world’s largest lithium battery power plant was approved near Elkhorn Slough State Marine Conservation area, an area with the highest marine biodiversity in California (<a href="https://blogs.sjsu.edu/newsroom/2025/scientists-detect-heavy-metals-in-environmentally-sensitive-elkhorn-slough-after-battery-storage-plant-fire/">see San Jose State blog</a>) and home of 150 endangered sea otters­­­­­­. What will be the impacts of this contamination given these sea otters, when healthy, birth a single pup every other year?</p>



<p>Heather Higgens, who kayaks at Elkhorn, stated in an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5H6azlyzqQ">interview</a> with Tina Berg from Status Coup News: &nbsp;</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“50 sea otters gather in rafters at a time and hold hands, and you have sea lions to the entrance, we were all in shock, we couldn’t believe this [the fire] would happen.”</p>
</blockquote>



<p><strong>Filming Sea Otters at Moss Landing</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Day Trip! Filming Sea Otters at Moss Landing" width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uF5ZtKgnonE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p><strong>Is </strong><strong>Moss Landing Fire the Result of Unexamined and Reckless Sustainability Measures?</strong></p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“If you can’t easily extinguish one battery, how are you expected to extinguish tens of thousands?&nbsp; You can’t. You have to let the batteries burn themselves out” – Comment at the Monterey Board Meeting</p>
</blockquote>



<p>The Battery storage at Moss Landing with frequent toxic fires is in violation of California Environmental Quality ACT (CEQA) §30240.</p>



<p>Locals didn’t know:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>These fires cannot be controlled, thermal runaway is a “phenomenon in which lithium-ion cells start uncontrollably heating up.“ <a href="https://baynature.org/2025/02/06/battery-fire-at-elkhorn-slough/,">Bay Nature Magazine</a></li>



<li>Battery fires can severely impact human health from toxic corrosive gasses: hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide (a toxic compound), and heavy metals, all of which require a respirator when in proximity.</li>



<li>Prior to the January 2025, Vistra Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) fire, both agencies and the public were not informed how often BESS facilities catch on fire – nor were they alerted to the potential for hazardous toxins to be released after a thermal runaway event.</li>



<li>There are <a href="https://storagewiki.epri.com/index.php/BESS_Failure_Incident_Database">93 reported BESS failures worldwide</a>, a veritable ticking time bomb.</li>
</ul>



<p><strong>Batteries Continue To Smolder, Risk of Another Fire&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-and-articles/nfpa-journal/2024/11/15/bullish-on-lithium-ion-batteries">Remains High</a> as <a href="https://hntrbrk.com/vistra-asks-county-to-silence-reporters-dodges-questions-about-surface-testing/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI8ErRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHT_BvKovXLIzFWBhHcb0Xq9HOdWAdRb2LtPbEioghWhYFA5Jx1JpDDjiqA_aem_FTSWHuu1oV2SV33XDYBHIQ">Moss Landing has Remaining Batteries Yet To Be Disconnected</a> </strong></p>



<p>Fallout from <a href="https://carmelpinecone.com/250221PC.pd">Moss Landing</a> fires on January 16 and February 18 flare-up, included worsened symptom for locals residents: metallic taste, skin rashes, burns, bloody noses, difficulty breathing, severe headaches and more. Salinas Valley, known as the “salad bowl” of America, is situated a mere twelve miles from the power plant. It’s common sense not to consume vegetables or fruit that potentially have been affected by heavy metal fallout including impacts to the soil and water?</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“These heavy metals will chemically transform as they move through the environments and potentially through the food web, affecting local aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems,”&nbsp;according to <a href="https://blogs.sjsu.edu/newsroom/2025/scientists-detect-heavy-metals-in-environmentally-sensitive-elkhorn-slough-after-battery-storage-plant-fire/">San Jose University </a>&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>



<p>Salinas Valley in Monterey County produces 70 percent of the United States lettuce as well as artichokes, strawberries, broccoli, wine grapes, cauliflower, celery, and spinach. Monterey County supplies our nation’s school lunches, and supermarkets such as Sprouts, Trader Joes and Whole Foods.&nbsp;With locals and animals in the area getting sick, people are now questioning the quality of local produce despite Monterey County assurances of safety.</p>



<p><strong>The Erin Brockovich Lawsuit</strong></p>



<p>Renown environmental activist, <a href="https://abc7news.com/post/moss-landing-battery-plant-fire-environmentalist-erin-brockovich-residents-file-lawsuit/15896262/">Erin Brockovich</a>, is a spokesperson for the <a href="https://www.singletonschreiber.com/newsroom/news/monterey-county-residents-sue-vistra-others-for-damages-due-to-moss-landing-battery-fire">Moss Landing lawsuit</a>&nbsp;against PG&amp;E, Vistra, and LG.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“I am concerned with lithium power storage facilities so close to farmland and …communities because these accidents happen.&nbsp; There didn’t seem to be any preparedness. People were going to the emergency room, having respiratory problems, sore throats and getting no answers. Every single situation seems to start like this. What concerns me is that it just feels like somebody knew. They did. They’ve got infrastructure inside there. Did they jerry rig something? Did they allow it to happen? The truth’s not coming out. So, my concern is that information is being concealed.”<br><br>– Erin Brockovich, <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/03/09/erin-brockovich-on-moss-landing-battery-fire-the-truths-not-coming-out/">Mercury News</a>&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>



<p>Knut Johnson, an attorney from Singleton Schreiber who is suing Moss Landing, <a href="https://kmph.com/news/local/moss-landing-fire-erin-brockovich-and-residents-file-lawsuit-against-multiple-companies">reported</a> seeing pictures of people with “horrible rashes and clients with toxic substances on their property.”&nbsp; <strong></strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Erin Brockovich, Moss Landing residents file lawsuit after battery plant fire" width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jKnkuViw20o?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>While local scientists are checking the soil and finding toxic pollutants, and <a href="https://hntrbrk.com/vistra-data/%20https:/hntrbrk.com/vistra-data/?%20fbclid=lwZXhObgNhZWOCMTEAA%20R0eg4cZMVJIFefG0Et%20OropNjVcn5ijuK7pxNGGeqeieAWBe2P7wqJzGQj8_aem_%209%D0%B3N-x5-BY98zetnaGErJbw">Hunterbrook New Data </a>shows elevated heavy metal exposure 20 miles from Moss Landing including agricultural land, the EPA is minimizing the impacts assuring locals and farmers there is no problem for humans or wildlife,<a href="https://www.readymontereycounty.org/emergency/2025-moss-landing-vistra-power-plant-fire/screening-level-human-health-risk-assessment-from-the-moss-landing-battery-fire">see report here</a> and <a href="https://santacruzcountyca.gov/Government/Pressreleases.aspx">here</a>. </p>



<p>Vistra issued a statement in response to Erin Brockovich’s comments:</p>



<p>&nbsp;“Air quality monitoring, which has been ongoing since the start of the fire and continues today, has been conducted by the U.S. EPA, Monterey Bay Air Resources District, and others and has not detected risks to public health at any time. Additionally,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.readymontereycounty.org/emergency/2025-moss-landing-vistra-power-plant-fire/screening-level-human-health-risk-assessment-from-the-moss-landing-battery-fire">soil and water testing conducted by Cal EPA/Department of Toxic Substances Control, Monterey County, and Santa Cruz County</a>&nbsp;have not detected risks to public water supplies or soil in the community.”</p>



<p>Norm Groot with Monterey County Farm Bureau has assured constituents that Moss Landing “product” didn&#8217;t enter the food supply, (see letter <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/962330675331079/user/707056408/">here</a>), yet this position differs from scientifically validated <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7178168/%20can%20also%20be%20toxic%20to%20agricultural%20land:">heavy metal toxicity</a> which includes Hunterbrook results of 150 surface wipe samples of the area.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image29452_262337-4f size-full"><img decoding="async" width="646" height="535" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Breaking-2025-03-09-at-2.38.42-PM.png" alt="" class="kb-img wp-image-29520" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Breaking-2025-03-09-at-2.38.42-PM.png 646w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Breaking-2025-03-09-at-2.38.42-PM-300x248.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Breaking-2025-03-09-at-2.38.42-PM-600x497.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px" /></figure>



<p>Image credit: <a href="https://hntrbrk.com/vistra-data/">Hunterbrook New Data</a></p>



<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/962330675331079/">Locals</a> are calling for further real time, transparent testing, of air, water, and agricultural products across the Monterey Bay, including Santa Cruz, and inland – and to be informed of battery pile conditions, flare-ups and off-gassing.&nbsp; As of March 8, local residents shared multiple reports of the same sulfur and chlorine tastes/smells once again and noticed the Slough devoid of birds.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>Sick and Dead Banana Slugs the California State Icon?</strong></p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>“I collected a couple of sick or dead banana slugs up here which is quite unusual. So the impacts are very real far and wide, wherever the wind pattern, fog pattern takes the blend of particulates and they are part of the atmosphere. So much worse than CO2 emissions as even the trees can&#8217;t absorb the chemicals in the air.” <br>– local reporting on Moss Landing Fire from Moss Landing Environmental FB group.&nbsp;</p>
</blockquote>



<p><strong>Never Again Moss Landing</strong></p>



<p><em>“</em><em>Never Again Moss Landing is a fast-response grass-roots all-volunteer resident group which advocates for our community’s voice and interests in response to the Moss Landing BESS Fire.”</em><br>See <a href="https://neveragainmosslanding.org/news/">Moss Landing News</a>:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image29452_11e1a4-25 size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="545" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screen-Shot-2025-03-10-at-2.04.11-PM-1024x545.png" alt="" class="kb-img wp-image-29512" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screen-Shot-2025-03-10-at-2.04.11-PM-1024x545.png 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screen-Shot-2025-03-10-at-2.04.11-PM-300x160.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screen-Shot-2025-03-10-at-2.04.11-PM-768x409.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screen-Shot-2025-03-10-at-2.04.11-PM-600x320.png 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screen-Shot-2025-03-10-at-2.04.11-PM.png 1061w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Image credit:  https://neveragainmosslanding.org/news/#local</p>



<p>Brian Roeder from <a href="https://neveragainmosslanding.org/">Never Again Moss Landing</a> shares that a lot of folks are reporting terrible symptoms since the reignited fire from Feb 18<sup>th</sup>.&nbsp; However this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=0wCki5sTVKOgutMn&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawIpZapleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHT1CafuFJObeH599QqI1WIuQqwsKGc7rE2XZa9B82hyX0x7V_QnF47fJxQ_aem_fy31lxPBSuh2DiOspXwgrQ&amp;v=XoNdTbecE5A&amp;feature=youtu.be">KSBW News report</a> does not acknowledge people’s symptoms nor the testing that showed elevated heavy metals in Elkhorn slough and surrounding communities.</p>



<p>Following are some of what locals are sharing on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/652815133743333">Moss Landing Vistra Power Plant/Fire Symptoms Facebook page</a>:</p>



<p>“The last couple days have been extremely bad with coughing up blood and the metallic taste in my mouth and my tongue being numb hard to talk.”</p>



<p>&nbsp;“I was out at Elkhorn Slough reserve for 10 minutes – so impacted that my sinus flared up, my eyes are burning.” &nbsp;<br><br>According to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/962330675331079/posts/989453285952151/?_rdr">Dr. Calvin Luther Martin</a>, those who live and work near Moss Landing could have been inhaling caustic hydrofluoric acid and hydrochloric acid.Locals comfort each other offering advice on first aid such as eye drops or suggesting the use of blood pressure cuffs, as many are experiencing eye and blood pressure issues from long-term continual exposure.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The following image is a map of 647 individuals who reported unusual and often severe symptoms from the Vistra fire.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image29452_429eb2-e0 size-full"><img decoding="async" width="516" height="565" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screen-Shot-2025-03-08-at-9.43.56-AM.png" alt="" class="kb-img wp-image-29510" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screen-Shot-2025-03-08-at-9.43.56-AM.png 516w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screen-Shot-2025-03-08-at-9.43.56-AM-274x300.png 274w" sizes="(max-width: 516px) 100vw, 516px" /></figure>



<p>N.B.: The location of individuals reporting symptoms extends from Santa Cruz to Carmel.&nbsp; Locals are asking for oversight: for the California Coastal Commission to be involved in overseeing demolition and cleanup at Moss Landing, an analysis of the burn pile, and for Agricultural Inspectors to share knowledge and to be fully transparent on what is happening in the fields.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Following is additional information from Brian Roeder of&nbsp;<a href="http://neveragainmosslanding.org/">Never Again Moss Landing</a>.<br><br>Thousands within 10 miles of this battery fire disaster need help. The Moss Landing Power Plan/Vistra Fire Symptoms&nbsp;Facebook page has hundreds of personal entries testifying to injuries, fear, and broken lives.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/652815133743333">(20+) Moss Landing Power Plant/Vistra Fire Symptoms | Facebook</a></p>



<p>Few are listening.&nbsp;Patients and in particular women are being dismissed as hysterical when they go to their doctors.</p>



<p>The critical&nbsp;next step is to call State Senator John Laird&#8217;s three offices. Laird is a huge proponent of BESS plants.&nbsp; He has a direct line to the Governor&#8217;s office.&nbsp;&nbsp;Laird can request critical state resources that have not been on the ground.&nbsp; Testing. Toxicology.&nbsp; Financial assistance for families.&nbsp; Medical and environmental guidance.&nbsp; Help for the agricultural community and school district.&nbsp; Fire mitigation strategies and wildlife impacts.</p>



<p>What is so tragic is that families have been and are continuing to be injured after (February’s) follow-on fire. The county authorities have gotten very little direction or resources from the State.&nbsp;The state toxicologist has dismissed the attached scientifically validated data and has stated publicly&nbsp;that he has not even looked at it.&nbsp;<br></p>



<p>Please call <a href="https://sd17.senate.ca.gov/contact">Senator Laird</a> and demand that he get involved:&nbsp; Capital Office:&nbsp;(916) 651-4017, or Monterey District:&nbsp;(831) 657-6315, San Luis Obispo District: (805) 549-3784, Santa Cruz District<strong>:</strong>&nbsp;(831) 425-0401<strong><em><br></em></strong></p>



<p>Website: <a href="http://www.neveragainmosslanding.org">www.neveragainmosslanding.org</a>.&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>What Would Captain Kirk Say If Starlink Interfered With The Prime Directive?</title>
		<link>https://safetechinternational.org/what-would-captain-kirk-say-if-starlink-interfered-with-the-prime-directive/</link>
					<comments>https://safetechinternational.org/what-would-captain-kirk-say-if-starlink-interfered-with-the-prime-directive/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Dec 2024 23:44:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Connection with nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eco-civilization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Satellites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://safetechinternational.org/?p=29327</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Image attribution: NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons by Sarah Aminoff of Safe Tech International What would Captain James T. Kirk, the fictional 23rd century character in Star Trek, say about so many Satellites’ launches punching holes in the ozone layer, satellite collisions and light pollution?&#160; Kirk serves in the fictional Starfleet, a space...]]></description>
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<p class="wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">Image attribution: NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<br><br>by Sarah Aminoff of <a href="https://safetechinternational.org/">Safe Tech International</a><br><br>What would Captain James T. Kirk, the fictional 23<sup>rd</sup> century character in Star Trek, say about so many Satellites’ launches punching holes in the ozone layer, satellite collisions and light pollution?&nbsp; Kirk serves in the fictional Starfleet, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_force">space force</a> maintained by the interstellar government <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Federation_of_Planets">United Federation of Planets</a>.</p>



<p class="wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">In our present day, we have a <a href="https://fas.org/publication/averting-environmental-risks-in-the-new-space-age/">Federation of Scientists</a> who warn about averting environmental risks in the new space age, they believe we face an existential crisis created by the launch of so many new ‘mega constellations’ of thousands of satellites in the part of space near Earth called ‘Low Earth Orbit’ (LEO).&nbsp;</p>



<p class="wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio has-background" style="background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 92%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%)"><strong>What would Captain Kirk say? Even if we were a civilization capable of space travel, would we even be considered for ‘United Federation of Planet’ membership if we couldn’t even safeguard our planet?&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p></p>



<figure class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image29327_a9e158-a1 size-full"><img decoding="async" width="802" height="452" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/60-starlink-with-earth.png" alt="" class="kb-img wp-image-29396" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/60-starlink-with-earth.png 802w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/60-starlink-with-earth-300x169.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/60-starlink-with-earth-768x433.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/60-starlink-with-earth-600x338.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px" /></figure>



<p class="wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">60 Starlink v0.9 satellites stacked together before deployment on 24 May 2019<br>Attribution: Official SpaceX Photos, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons</p>



<p class="wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio">Interstellar governments (fictional or otherwise) may not want unfettered and unregulated commercial pollution for Starlink. We may violate the prime directive which states non-interference for other worlds: if we can’t control our own satellite pollution, there is no guarantee we may have discretion on other planets.</p>



<p class="wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><em>If there even was a present day Starfleet</em>, would a Galactic Federation rescue us and interfere with our potential destruction of our magnetosphere from all the satellite launches?&nbsp; “The Prime Directive <strong>prohibits Starfleet personnel from interfering with the natural development of a society for good or bad</strong>, and that has often meant that crews must stand by as an entire civilization is wiped away by natural disasters or technological folly.” according to <a href="https://screenrant.com/star-trek-prime-directive-explained/">Screen Rant</a>.</p>



<p>There may be no Galactic Federation to save the day, let alone UFOs, if we have too many rocket launches.</p>



<p><strong>Real life facts</strong>:&nbsp;International Astronomical Union has a conference on light pollution and radio interference caused by satellites:&nbsp;<a href="https://astrobites.org/2024/10/01/iau-dark-and-quiet-skies/">https://astrobites.org/2024/10/01/iau-dark-and-quiet-skies/</a>/</p>



<p>The <strong>United Nations</strong> recognizes light pollution as detrimental&nbsp;(<a href="https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/growing-effects-light-pollution-migratory-birds">https://www.un.org/e&#8230;migratory-birds</a>).&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image29327_cb0c90-f6 size-full"><img decoding="async" width="799" height="521" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-20-at-4.48.56-PM.png" alt="M. Lewinsky/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons" class="kb-img wp-image-29341" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-20-at-4.48.56-PM.png 799w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-20-at-4.48.56-PM-300x196.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-20-at-4.48.56-PM-768x501.png 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-20-at-4.48.56-PM-600x391.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px" /></figure>



<p>Timelapse of recently deployed satellites (vertical lines)<sup><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink#cite_note-414"></a></sup><br>M. Lewinsky/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Common</p>



<p><strong>International Astronomical Union (IAU-CPS)</strong>, a <a href="https://www.iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann24008/%20https://www.iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann24008/">worldwide institution</a> focuses on mitigation of sky glow from satellites. </p>



<p class="has-background" style="background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 84%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%)"><strong>“Protecting the Sky is the Core Mission of the IAU because without the sky, there is no science of astronomy.” &#8211; &nbsp;<a href="https://noirlab.edu/public/media/archives/techdocs/pdf/techdoc104.pdf">IAU</a></strong><br></p>



<p><strong>Do We Need to Worry More About Rocket Emissions Than Airplanes?</strong></p>



<p>Unlike airplanes, rocket emissions from space affect every layer of the atmosphere with toxins and aren’t washed away according to&nbsp; <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-underappreciated-danger-of-the-new-space-age-global-air-pollution/">Scientific American</a>. “Jet engines…burn very clean compared with rocket engines. Some types of hydrocarbon-fueled rocket engines emit hundreds of times more soot for each kilogram of fuel burned than do their jet engine cousins. And jets only occasionally fly in the stratosphere; rockets fly there every launch.”</p>



<p><strong>Is Starlink Bridging the Digital Divide?</strong></p>



<p>Starlink was denied 900 billion dollar broadband subsidies by the FCC for failing to meet its criteria of providing cheap internet to rural poor, according to Forbes.</p>



<p>“Gene Roddenberry always wanted <em>Star Trek</em> to depict a future of humanity without war, without hunger, without disease and without <em>poverty</em>: When she asks how much the ship has cost, Picard tells Lily: <em>&#8220;The economics of the future is somewhat different. You see, money doesn&#8217;t exist in the 24th century&#8230; The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity.&#8221;</em> (‘Star Trek: First Contact’); see this fascinating <a href="https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/economy.htm">blog</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Is Starlink embracing the Star Trek vision to eliminate poverty?&nbsp;Starlink did provide Hurricane Helene internet relief, and yet “The FCC previously found that Starlink had trouble meeting basic upload and download speeds and that rural subscribers would have had to pay an upfront fee of $600 at the time for a dish,” according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/03/us/politics/hurricane-helene-internet-trump-musk-starlink.html">New York Times</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>“Although hundreds of free Starlinks were donated to North Carolina after Hurricane Helene…the free internet service is temporary. On the company’s website, Starlink said it would provide 30 days of service for the devices in affected areas, before a standard residential subscription would be charged.”</p>



<p><strong>Space Junk May Prevent Us From Belonging To A Future Galactic Federation?</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Space junk map tracks 200 ‘ticking time bombs’ - BBC World Service" width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ymlUn6THH04?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>Although SpaceX has a distinct incentive to <em>make</em> sure any faulty <em>Starlink</em> satellites don&#8217;t end up in the future path of its own rockets and spacecraft, <em>Starlink</em> satellites are expected to come into the atmosphere to eventually burn up starting five or six years after they are launched and deployed, according to&nbsp;BCSatelllite.net, which states:</p>



<p>“Everything going into space must pass through the region that is largely inhabited by Starlink. What are the implications of the Starlink constellation on space junk at this critical altitude at which they operate? As it turns out the situation does not look good. Currently most space junk is located in between the Starlink and OneWeb altitudes.”</p>



<p><strong>SpaceX Debris Lands on a Farm in Australia</strong>!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Lose Something, Elon Musk? SpaceX Debris Falls in Australia" width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EoL9v6mlDGg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p><strong>The International Astronomical Union Urges Action In Its first paper: </strong><a href="https://www.iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann24008">https://www.iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann24008</a>/<br></p>



<figure class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image29327_c740d5-dd size-full"><img decoding="async" width="492" height="627" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-21-at-2.37.30-PM.png" alt="" class="kb-img wp-image-29358" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-21-at-2.37.30-PM.png 492w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-21-at-2.37.30-PM-235x300.png 235w" sizes="(max-width: 492px) 100vw, 492px" /><figcaption>Credit: IAU CPS/NOIRLab/SKAO<br>Note:  IAU materials may not be used to state or imply the endorsement by IAU<br>Cover of the CPS position paper entitled <a href="https://noirlab.edu/public/media/archives/techdocs/pdf/techdoc102.pdf">Call to Protect the Dark and Quiet Sky from Harmful Interference by Satellite Constellations</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<p><strong>If you want to hold ‘Space, the final frontier,’ sacred&nbsp;we need your help! One small step for all, one giant leap for all lifekind starts with a US Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) <a href="https://pirg.org/edfund/take-action/tell-the-fcc-satellite-mega-constellations-need-environmental-review/">grassroots petition</a>:</strong></p>



<p class="has-background" style="background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 100%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%)"><strong>Tell the FCC: Satellite mega-constellations need environmental review.&nbsp; We’re in a short window of time when we can prevent making a mess of space and our atmosphere</strong> <strong>&#8211; US PIRG</strong></p>



<p>Please feel free to&nbsp;share the petition&nbsp;with anyone you think might be interested!&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Finding Our Ecological Niche in the Web of Life</title>
		<link>https://safetechinternational.org/finding-our-ecological-niche-in-the-web-of-life/</link>
					<comments>https://safetechinternational.org/finding-our-ecological-niche-in-the-web-of-life/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:37:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Connection with nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eco-civilization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Military]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Patriarchy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Satellites]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Space]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[war]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eco civilization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peace]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology and war]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://safetechinternational.org/?p=29300</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[By Kate Kheel from Safe Tech International; Image by&#160;bess.hamiti@gmail.com&#160;from&#160;Pixabay For a two part Persian translation of this blog see, Part 1 and Part 2, courtesy of Farhad Khelghati from Iran, In a thought-provoking essay,&#160;The Simple Story of Civilization,&#160;author Tom Murphy condenses the approximately 2.5 million years we humans have been here on Earth into an...]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>By Kate Kheel from Safe Tech International; Image by&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/bessi-909086/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=817369">bess.hamiti@gmail.com</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=817369">Pixabay</a></p>



<p class="has-theme-palette-2-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a5f3e038bfdf6ce0b44be8425d9c6cba"><em>For a two part Persian translation of this blog see, <a href="https://azmoonezaman.blogsky.com/1404/05/31/post-46/Finding-Our-Ecological-Niche-in-the-Web-of-Life">Part 1 </a>and <a href="https://azmoonezaman.blogsky.com/1404/06/19/post-51/Finding-Our-Ecological-Niche-in-the-Web-of-Life">Part 2</a></em>, <em>courtesy of Farhad Khelghati from Iran, </em></p>



<p>In a thought-provoking essay,<em>&nbsp;The Simple Story of Civilization,</em>&nbsp;author Tom Murphy condenses the approximately 2.5 million years we humans have been here on Earth into an average life span of 75 years. In this model, the first 70 years represent the period during which different species of humans evolved. The last five years correlate to the age of Homo Sapiens (starting c. 200,000 years ago) where we lived and evolved in a kind of ecological homeostasis with the rest of the natural world.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The last 15 weeks (beginning c.10,000 years ago real time) represents the beginnings of agriculture where we set ourselves apart from, and above the rest of the natural world, and when we began to view Earth as a mere repository of resources for human endeavors. With the advent of agriculture came cities, property, surplus, storage, enslavement of both animals and humans­, armies, and hierarchy.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In the last 36 hours, a mere blip in time, we dialed things up with the discovery of fossil fuels imagining we now had unlimited powers and could manifest all manner of creature comforts.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The remaining 12 hours (representing the last 50 years in real time) bring us to the present day of “global ecological devastation” in Murphy’s own words.</p>



<p>Most recently, with the exponential proliferation of technology and AI, our hubristic notions of super-power have been amplified adding fuel to the already expansionary fires of unchecked growth and resource extraction.&nbsp;</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Implications of the technological Tsunami for 21<sup>st</sup>&nbsp;century warfighting</h6>



<p>War too has morphed over time from person-to-person combat, perhaps atop horses or on war elephants, to the current battlefield of AI-controlled systems that weave together Earth, sea, air, space, and cyber space. Invisible electromagnetic battles now take place through the airwaves, with cyber warfare a click away. Remote-controlled nuclear warheads boast speeds up to 20 times that of sound, and nuclear Armageddon is precariously locked in a global stalemate of mutually assured destruction –&nbsp;which, according to the&nbsp;<em>Doomsday Clock</em>, is currently 90 seconds before midnight.</p>



<p>The world’s military is a major contributor to our global ecological devastation. In 2022 it accounted for an estimated 5.5% of global CO2 emissions, although likely that figure is higher as militaries are quite secretive and not required to report emissions. The US military alone is the world’s largest institutional consumer of hydrocarbons “…belching out&nbsp;more emissions&nbsp;than industrialised nations like Portugal and Denmark” in the words of Lorraine Mallinder from Aljazeera.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Mallinder goes on to say that military expansion has also impacted air quality, ecosystems, biodiversity, and the health of people living near bases.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Outer space has become pivotal for warfighting and is now being decked out with thousands of satellites to weave together, coordinate, and manage the deluge of data flowing in from all branches of the military as well as from civilian sources.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Transmitters include cell&nbsp;towers, satellites, underwater sensors, surveillance cameras, cell phones, smart cities, facial recognition technology and other biometric markers, robots, the Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) consisting of networked helmets, combat gear and other wearables, etc.&nbsp;</p>



<p>AI algorithms sort through and make sense of these vast streams of data and provide actionable items to militaries.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In addition, electromagnetic radiation has significantly upped the ante in three new domains of warfighting:&nbsp;</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Cyber Warfare – attacks on computer systems and connected infrastructure&nbsp;</li>



<li>Electronic Warfare – battles in the electromagnetic spectrum; electromagnetic pulse attacks potentially downing a nations entire electrical grid; or directed energy weapons used to fry components.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Cognitive Warfare –&nbsp;manipulation of how people think, feel, and act.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<p>Other means of expansion being used to recklessly hurtle us all from 5G to 6G, FutureG, and beyond include:&nbsp;</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><em>Dual use technology&nbsp;</em>where militaries join forces with industry to speed innovation.</li>



<li><em>Proliferation</em>&nbsp;– whereby satellites and other systems scale to thousands or tens of thousands, so the loss of a few won’t affect the overall viability of the system.&nbsp;</li>



<li><em>Lethal Autonomous Weapons</em>&nbsp;(LAWs)&nbsp;where warfighting is increasingly handed over to AI-controlled weapons and systems that make decisions at blistering speeds, while relegating humans to mere bystanders attempting to stay in the loop if at all possible.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<p><br>With the US and China vying for first mover advantage, over seventy countries sporting government space agencies, and many satellite programs springing up from the private sector as well, we are fast depleting Earth’s “resources,” turbo-charging warfighting, while clogging up the Heavens with ever more debris</p>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Reflections</h6>



<p>If the notion of digital technology as a testament to human ingenuity seems a bit grim, and&nbsp;<em>techno-optimism</em>&nbsp;–&nbsp;technology’s power to “save mankind” –&nbsp;is beginning to sound lame…. well, you’re not alone. Many of us are grieving deeply as we bear witness to the harms being inflicted on all Life.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Personally, I find some solace and inspiration in the following phrase from the Hebrew blessing recited after a meal:&nbsp;<em>V’achalta, v’savata, ou v’rachta</em>&nbsp;–&nbsp;And you shall eat, and be satiated, and you shall bless.&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>And you shall eat –&nbsp;</em>in Hebrew&nbsp;<em>v-achalta</em>&nbsp;–&nbsp;refers to more than just consuming food. It means taking in or experiencing something from “outside” of ourselves and allowing it to inform or transform us as it is “digested” into our mind, heart, and body – e.g., smelling a flower, listening to a song, or navigating a life challenge.</p>



<p>And you shall be satiated –&nbsp;<em>v’savata –&nbsp;</em>refers to the sweet point of satiation where we have&nbsp;<em>just enough</em>&nbsp;but not one drop too much. When we ingest food deplete of nutrients or partake of experiences devoid of meaning, we are left feeling unsatisfied and prone to over consume. But when we partake of the substance of&nbsp;<em>real</em>&nbsp;life –&nbsp;not the illusory and frivolous distractions of for-sale and for-profit substitutes –&nbsp;then enough is truly and generously enough.</p>



<p><em>Ou’verachta&nbsp;</em>&#8212; and you shall bless. We lend our unique signature to what we “consume” as we send it back out into the world via our thoughts, intentions, words, and deeds &#8211; hopefully, in the form of blessings to all living beings and to Earth herself.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If we can find our eco-niche – our unique place in the web of life – we will interrelate with one another with respect, restraint, and love…&nbsp;&nbsp;and our actions –&nbsp;both individual and collective – will bring blessing, not war.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>During this vanishingly small moment in evolutionary time brought about by the confluence of&nbsp;</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>separating ourselves from the<em>&nbsp;web of life</em></li>



<li>the desire for&nbsp;<em>dominion</em></li>



<li>the discovery of<em>&nbsp;fossil fuels</em></li>



<li>&nbsp;and more recently supercharged by&nbsp;<em>digital technology and AI</em>,&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<p>… we humans seem to have lost our way and have become a threat to all living beings.&nbsp;</p>



<p>But there’s an undertow growing stronger by the day beneath the tidal waves of consumerism and war: A powerful movement of people dedicating every fiber of their being to help shift our global consciousness to one of&nbsp;<em>inter-being,&nbsp;</em>and to rekindle greater reverence and care for all Life. The movement isn’t new but thankfully is growing by leaps and bounds, fueled by our collective grief and our inherent reverence for Life.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Many wonderful authors, visionaries, speakers etc. are contributing to the movement, each with their own unique flavor. Following is a small sampling of a few I have found particularly inspiring.&nbsp;<br><br>Bill Plotkin from the&nbsp;<em>Animas Institute</em>&nbsp;has developed a program for guiding&nbsp;<em>soul initiation</em>&nbsp;and assisting people in becoming&nbsp;<em>Visionary Artisans of Cultural Evolution.&nbsp;</em>Author and visionary<em>&nbsp;</em>Jeremy Lent invites people to join&nbsp;<em>Deep Transformation Network</em>, a growing group of people feeling their way into a more eco-conscious future. In the podcast series,&nbsp;<em>The Great Simplification,</em>&nbsp;Nate Hagen interviews an extraordinary array of people from diverse fields each addressing the&nbsp;<em>Metacrisis</em>&nbsp;in their own way. Author and translator, David Hinten recalls past civilizations that were able to sustain and nurture the land they were on for thousands of years due to a profound understanding of their niche in the web of Life. And finally, Iain McGilchrist who explains how, in our 21<sup>st</sup>&nbsp;century civilization, the more strategic goal-oriented left hemisphere of the brain has gained dominance over the right hemisphere that sees more holistically, and that intuits our interconnectedness with all Life.&nbsp;</p>



<p>At this pivotal and critical moment in time the powerful forces driving expansion and war coupled with exponential technology and AI are a&nbsp;<em>Cosmic Invitation</em>&nbsp;– indeed a plea and a prayer –&nbsp;for us to find and savor our individual and collective&nbsp;<em>ecological niche</em>&nbsp;here on Earth where enough is truly and generously enough.&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>What would Van Gogh paint if he could not see the Milky Way? Light pollution and Starlink</title>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Dec 2024 02:30:55 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[By Sarah Aminoff of Safe Tech International Would Vincent Van Gogh been able to paint “The Starry Night” Milky Way if he could no longer see the night sky due to light pollution which includes Starlink? Vincent van Gogh painted “The Starry Night” in France in 1889; according to International Dark-Sky, “Now, the Milky Way can...]]></description>
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<p>By Sarah Aminoff of <a href="https://safetechinternational.org/">Safe Tech International</a></p>



<p>Would Vincent Van Gogh been able to paint “The Starry Night” Milky Way if he could no longer see the night sky due to light pollution which includes Starlink? <br> <br>Vincent van Gogh painted “The Starry Night” in France in 1889; according to International Dark-Sky, “Now, the Milky Way can no longer be seen from there.”<br><br>According to <a href="https://darkskycenter.org/our-why/">International Dark-Sky Association</a>: “Less than 100 years ago, everyone could look up and see a spectacular starry night sky. Now, millions of children across the globe will never experience the Milky Way where they live.” <br></p>



<figure class="wp-block-kadence-image kb-image29055_bd5449-d9 size-full"><img decoding="async" width="718" height="557" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-18-at-1.45.34-PM.png" alt="" class="kb-img wp-image-29163" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-18-at-1.45.34-PM.png 718w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-18-at-1.45.34-PM-300x233.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-18-at-1.45.34-PM-600x465.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 718px) 100vw, 718px" /><figcaption>Starry Night Over the Rhône shows an unpolluted night sky over Arles, France in 1888. Credit: Musée d&#8217;Orsay / Public Domain]</figcaption></figure>



<p><strong>Vincent Van Gogh loved the night sky </strong></p>



<p>&#8220;For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream,” the Dutch painter <a href="https://www.onverticality.com/blog/van-gogh-quote">wrote in a letter</a> to his brother, Theo, in 1888,&#8221; according to <a href="https://darksky.org/news/van-goghs-starry-skies/">DarkSky.org</a>. <br><br><strong>What would Vincent Van Gogh have painted if Starlink filled the sky a hundred years ago?</strong><br>  <br>Would Vincent Van Gogh have painted space waste and called it ‘Starry Starry Satellite?’ Would our &#8216;wishing upon a star&#8217; verse have a different rhyme?</p>



<pre class="wp-block-verse has-background" style="border-width:4px;background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 100%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%);font-size:16px"><strong>Star light, star bright<br>First star I see, I wish tonight<br>I wish I may, I wish I might<br>Oh stars? It’s just a satellite.</strong></pre>



<p style="font-size:17px">&#8220;The new space race doesn’t need to create massive space waste,&#8221; experts warn, states <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/musks-starlink-polluting-space-researchers-call-fcc-pause/story?id=115276437">ABC News.</a> Many satellites have a lifespan of five years and then de-orbit. Sierra Solter-Hunt, Physicist, released a <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.09329">paper in 2023</a> warning about incinerated satellites in the atmosphere.<br><br><strong>Scientists warn why we must keep our sky dark</strong><br><br>“Dark skies are (important) for the well-being of humans, plants, and animals, and for opening a window to the observable universe,” states the <a href="https://darkskycenter.org/our-why/">Dark Sky Center</a>.</p>



<p>“The natural world evolved with the rhythms of day and night, and light pollution disrupts that. Artificial light lures sea turtles away from the sea and toward the cities after they hatch; light pollution affects migratory and breeding patterns in animals,” according to <a href="https://www.itemonline.com/cnhi_network/opinion-we-must-protect-our-night-sky/article_b0ec705a-1a93-5e76-b446-19dd5ce77c5b.html">Itemonline</a>.<br><br>Space researchers urge regulatory agency to “press pause” on new satellite launches in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission.<br><br><strong>If you want to see the Milky Way galaxy, we need your help! The US Public Interest Research Group has a <a href="https://pirg.org/edfund/take-action/tell-the-fcc-satellite-mega-constellations-need-environmental-review/">grassroots petition</a> </strong>that members of the public can support. <br></p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p class="has-background" style="background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 74%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%)"><strong>Tell the FCC: Satellite mega-constellations need environmental review. We’re in a short window of time when we can prevent making a mess of space and our atmosphere &#8211; US PIRG</strong></p>
</blockquote>



<p><br>Please feel free to share the petition with anyone you think might be interested! <br>Also sign <strong>Sierra Club’s petition to safeguard the night sky</strong>:</p>



<p><a href="https://addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/protect-the-night/petition">https://addup.sierraclub.org/campaigns/protect-the-night/petition</a></p>



<p><br> <br></p>
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		<title>What Would the Three Wise Men Say About Starlink?</title>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Dec 2024 01:43:17 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[What would the three wise men see with SpaceX 'mega constellation' of 42,000 satellites in the sky? Would we have the same holiday stories if in ancient times there was an appropriation of our night sky by private entities such as SpaceX?]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>By Sarah Aminoff of&nbsp;<a href="https://safetechinternational.org/">Safe Tech International</a> Three Wise Men Image by&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/angeleses-4701261/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3795282">Angeles Balaguer</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=3795282">Pixabay</a></p>



<p>What would the three wise men say if we could no longer see the <strong>Star of Bethlehem</strong> because <strong>Starlink</strong> satellites blinds us from seeing the stars in the night sky? <br><br>&#8220;For centuries, scholars have suggested the <strong>Star of Bethlehem</strong> may have actually been a &#8216;great conjunction&#8217; of bright planets. Jupiter and Saturn came together in a &#8216;Great Conjunction&#8217; in 2020 that was unlike any seen in nearly 800 years,&#8221; according to this article in <a href="https://www.astronomy.com/science/the-star-of-bethlehem-can-science-explain-what-it-was/">Astronomy.com</a>. <br></p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-astronomy-magazine wp-block-embed-astronomy-magazine"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="yL24wjzhU0"><a href="https://www.astronomy.com/science/the-star-of-bethlehem-can-science-explain-what-it-was/">The Star of Bethlehem: Can science explain what it really was?</a></blockquote><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted"  title="&#8220;The Star of Bethlehem: Can science explain what it really was?&#8221; &#8212; Astronomy Magazine" src="https://www.astronomy.com/science/the-star-of-bethlehem-can-science-explain-what-it-was/embed/#?secret=QgWa0RHpUL#?secret=yL24wjzhU0" data-secret="yL24wjzhU0" width="600" height="338" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>In the 17th century, Kepler suggested that a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BCE could be the astronomical origin of the Star of Bethlehem.<br><br><strong>Why Starlink satellites blinds us from seeing the stars in the night sky  </strong><br><br>Starlink satellites are positioned in low-Earth orbit, so appear particularly bright and move rapidly across the night sky. Sky gazers fear that Starlink satellites may outnumber the stars there are to see. Starlink satellites appear as a trail of lights several days after launch and easily visible to the naked eye. What would the three wise men say if Starlink was in place thousands of years ago?<br> <br>During this holiday season, you too can check for satellites in your night sky, in addition to the Bethlehem star:</p>



<div class="wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex">
<div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://findstarlink.com">https://findstarlink.com</a></div>
</div>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p class="has-theme-palette-3-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-078f66276592b2c2c3f2e60bdac8f1bb" style="background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 100%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%)"><strong>“Astronomers warn bright light and electromagnetic radiation from thousands of Starlink satellites could be interfering with ground-based telescopes … limiting our study of the universe.</strong>&#8220;<br><br><strong>“We&#8217;ve had satellites ever since Sputnik 1 launched in 1957. But today, the numbers are mind-boggling. In 1958, eight satellites were launched. By 1967, that number rose to 159. After that, roughly 40 to 150 satellites were launched annually. Fast forward to 2023, and more than 2,600 satellites were launched,</strong>” &#8211; <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/spacex-starlinks-astronomy-1.7334803">CBC News</a></p>
</blockquote>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Astronomers warn too many satellites could block our view of the universe" width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rE6RUdi3Wi0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p><strong>What would the three wise men see with SpaceX &#8216;mega constellation&#8217; of 42,000 satellites in the sky – a train of lights instead? </strong>Would we have the same holiday stories if in ancient times there was an appropriation of our night sky by private entities such as SpaceX?</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" width="703" height="571" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-17-at-1.32.27-PM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-29063" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-17-at-1.32.27-PM.png 703w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-17-at-1.32.27-PM-300x244.png 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screen-Shot-2024-12-17-at-1.32.27-PM-600x487.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px" /></figure>



<p><br>Credit: Victoria Girgis/Lowell Observatory Trails made by Starlink satellites<br><strong><br>SpaceX is set to be even brighter with cell tower in space! </strong><br><br>SpaceX&#8217;s new Starlink satellites that connect directly to phones are <a href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-direct-to-cell-satellites-light-pollution">nearly five times brighter than traditional Starlink</a> cites recent study. “<a href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html">SpaceX </a>plans to form what it calls &#8216;a cellphone tower in space&#8217; with thousands of direct-to-cell (DTC) satellites around Earth that offer service straight to unmodified smartphones &#8216;wherever you can see the sky.&#8217; The higher luminosity of these DTCs compared to regular Starlinks is partly because they circle Earth at just 217 miles,” according to <a href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-direct-to-cell-satellites-light-pollution">Space.com.</a><br><br>How do &#8216;mega constellations&#8217; of thousands of satellites damage our earth atmosphere? Andrew Bacon of Space Forge and Jonathan McDowell, Astronomer at Harvard speak out about satellites burning up the atmosphere with aluminum ash in this <a href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-direct-to-cell-satellites-light-pollution">Space.com expose:</a> &#8220;There is now a Starlink reentry almost every day,&#8221; McDowell told Space.com. &#8220;Sometimes multiple.&#8221;</p>



<p><strong>Satellite launches create ozone “mini holes”</strong><br><br>“NASA aircraft showed that (Solid-rocket motor (SRM) oxidizer) …plumes create dramatic ozone “mini holes” that persist for several days after a launch,” according to <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-underappreciated-danger-of-the-new-space-age-global-air-pollution/">Scientific American.</a><br><br><strong>Next steps!</strong> <br><br>If you want to hold the legacy of three wise men seeing the Star of Bethlehem, or our ability to view our Milky Way, the starry sky needs our help! US Public Interest Research Group has a <a href="https://pirg.org/edfund/take-action/tell-the-fcc-satellite-mega-constellations-need-environmental-review">grassroots petition</a> that members of the public can support.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p class="has-background" style="background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(255,245,203) 0%,rgb(182,227,212) 99%,rgb(51,167,181) 100%)"><strong>&#8220;Tell the FCC: Satellite mega-constellations need environmental review. We’re in a short window of time when we can prevent making a mess of space and our atmosphere.&#8221;</strong> <br><strong>&#8211; US PIRG</strong></p>
</blockquote>



<p><br> Please feel free to share the petition with anyone you think might be interested! </p>



<p><br><br></p>
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		<title>Tech, Cars, Radiant Circuits, Self Esteem &#038; Safeguarding Subtle Energy – Because We Know Better</title>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kate]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Oct 2024 13:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[By Patricia Burke of Safe Tech International, Images Courtesy Flo Freshman -for entertainment purposes only, not to be construed as medical advice When a cybertruck is imported to Europe, it has to be modified in order to adhere with safety regulations not in force in the United States. From an energy medicine perspective, allowing intimidating...]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p>By Patricia Burke of <a href="https://safetechinternational.org/">Safe Tech International</a>, Images Courtesy<a href="https://inkwellbooksllc.com/product/uncle-hershel/"> Flo Freshman</a>                                      <em>-for entertainment purposes only, not to be construed as medical advice</em></p>



<p><em>When a cybertruck is imported to Europe, it has to be modified in order to adhere with safety regulations not in force in the United States. </em></p>



<p><em>From an energy medicine perspective, allowing intimidating vehicles on the roads, and instinct-injured</em> <em>piercing devoid of recognition of the body&#8217;s energy anatomy, are related issues.</em> </p>



<p><em>When we don&#8217;t understand the risks of &#8216;overcharge&#8217; in ourselves and others, and we don&#8217;t understand when and how our subtle energies are being exploited, or how to protect ourselves, <a href="https://ehtrust.org/health-effects-of-5g-wireless-technology-confirmed-at-us-senate-hearing-after-senator-blumenthal-questions-industry/">we are flying blind</a>.&#8221;</em></p>



<p>I recently read a quote by Substack author&nbsp;<a href="https://substack.com/@tijntjoelker">Tijn Tjoelker</a>&nbsp;of <a href="https://tijntjoelker.substack.com/">The Mycelium</a> in his post<strong><a href="https://tijntjoelker.substack.com/p/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet">&nbsp;</a></strong><a href="https://tijntjoelker.substack.com/p/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet">Lessons from Zen and The Art of Saving The Planet</a>.</p>



<p>This article is about his quote.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" width="427" height="233" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/tjin-quote.png" alt="" class="wp-image-27815" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/tjin-quote.png 427w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/tjin-quote-300x164.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 427px) 100vw, 427px" /></figure>
</div>


<p>We are at the point where every mundane choice that we make throughout the day and night &#8211; about what we do with our time and attention, and whether or not we invoke a machine or device, large and small &#8211; either does or does not regenerate life.</p>



<p>Unexamined choices via our technology use and consumer habits have taken us beyond the edge of reason. We need a new roadmap,</p>



<p><strong>A Short Historical Narrative of Feedback Loops: The Startle Response</strong> <strong>vs. Desensitization</strong></p>



<p>I remember when cars were first outfitted with remote door locks. Car lights would blink and the horn would beep loudly, so that the driver could confirm that they had locked the vehicle &#8211; from across the street.</p>



<p>Initially, I jumped out of my skin on more than one occasion in parking lots, startled by the unexpected noise from an empty vehicle. How did we come to change our expectations and behavior regarding when and where and how we lock our vehicles &#8211; creating the demand for more sensors and expensive key fobs, <em>with cars generating <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/why-modern-connected-cars-are-becoming-a-privacy-nightmare/ar-AA1r2K8I">data</a></em>? Should we celebrate that Meta&#8217;s glasses will remember for us <a href="https://mashable.com/article/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses-wheres-my-car">where we parked the car</a>? Or should we question that we would need the assist, because <em>we have been empowered to not pay attention to what we are doing? </em></p>



<p><strong>Mindless or Mindful?</strong></p>



<p>Over time, the horn honking volume was adjusted. My energetic immune system and nervous system adapted to the sound, and now I rarely experience that startle response. I am desensitized.</p>



<p>We have not considered that in many cases,<strong> our desensitization not an adaptation</strong>. It is degenerative<em>, especially regarding our relationships with technology, with the built environment, with authoritarian structures, and with each other.</em></p>



<p>We could instead be paying more attention to what the European Environmental Agency has coined, &#8220;<a href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/late-lessons-2">Late Lessons from Early Warnings</a>&#8221; by heeding more of our own physicality, as well as reports of harm being experienced by others. </p>



<p>This extends far beyond overuse injuries and postural problems caused by tech; by screen blue light harm; by epidemic myopia, including in children; and including <a href="https://safetechinternational.org/?s=Diana+Kordas">unacknowledged damage to nature.</a> The harm is preventable, and caused by failure to course correct in the face of evidence of maladaptation to misguided social norms. </p>



<p>Trauma expert<a href="https://www.somaticexperiencing.com/about-peter"> Peter Levine </a>noted, “In a herd of deer, we need some super-sensitive ones. They are the ones that will hear that teeniest little crack or smell the one or two molecules of scent from the mountain lion that’s stalking them. Their job is to use their hyper-sensitivity to alert the whole group.”</p>



<p>If we are going to address any of the current challenges facing humanity, we need to recognize and recover our relationship with our own independent sensory feedback systems. We need to hold ourselves accountable for ensuring that our man-made inventions, i<em>ncluding AI</em>, do not destroy our biology, or each other, or the nature environment with which we have co-evolved for thousands of years.</p>



<p>Tech is enabling us to adopt <em>mindlessness and disconnect</em>, when we need to be going in the opposite direction. We are treating the planet and ourselves –<em> frivolously</em>, while outsourcing harm from the Global North to the South, including mining and waste.</p>



<p>Some antidotes include self-awareness, simplicity, mindfulness, wonder, presence, community, compassion for others, reverence, and openness to accumulated wisdom from other cultures.</p>



<p>We have access to maps that can guide us back to an integrated, healthy and balanced relationship with one another and with our own energy fields<em>, via energy intelligence</em>, much of which has been codified by Eastern traditions, thousands of years ago. Many Westerners are already reaping benefits of Eastern teachings; we could incorporate much more wisdom regarding balance, and embodiment. We don&#8217;t have to continue traveling this road. We can change the GPS coordinates to conscious awareness.</p>



<p><strong>A Short Comparision Study of an Energetic Exchange: Shopping</strong></p>



<p>Here are 3 different scenarios describing a cashier processing a customer&#8217;s purchases in a store, relative to studying energy anatomy.</p>



<p>1. In the first scenario, the cashier displays basic social skills and interacts courteously with staff and the customers. Friendly smiles are exchanged. The cashier is &#8216;present.&#8217;</p>



<p>2. In the second scenario, the cashier is wearing revealing clothing, with a phone visibly tucked in her bra. She does not make eye contact with anyone. She is sending mixed signals indicating that she is distracted with her mind elsewhere, while at the same time drawing attention to her appearance.</p>



<p>3. In the third scenario, the cashier has pasty unhealthy-looking skin, wearing clothing that obscures her physicality, with extreme prominent piercings on her face. She avoids eye contact. Again, the unconscious messaging is that while acting like she doesn&#8217;t care, she desperately wants to draw attention to herself.</p>



<p>If we could perceive the energetic dynamics occurring in each exchange, before we became desensitized, what would we see?</p>



<p>What does this have to do with a cybertruck?  Everything.</p>



<p><strong>Strange Flows,</strong> <strong>Radiant Circuits</strong>, <strong>and The Penetrating Flow</strong></p>



<p>Thousands of years ago, Chinese seers mapped out the electromagnetic pathways that sustain the invisible subtle energy field. This includes both Meridians and &#8216;Strange Flows.&#8217;</p>



<p>Some surmise that the name &#8216;Strange Flow&#8217; may have been sourced from the idea that the behavior of these energies appeared unusual and unpredictable, <em>until their functions were understood.</em> For example, if we were to suddenly fall through ice into freezing water, the Strange Flows responsible for managing body temperature would take the helm and re-organize our physiology to help insure survival, faster than the process of conscious thought. This would include the Regulator Flow.</p>



<p>Energy Medicine teacher and author <a href="https://edenenergymedicine.com/">Donna Eden</a>, who can ‘see energy’, describes the Strange Flows as “Radiant Circuits” because of the way they appear to her, as they flash &#8220;on&#8221; when needed, illuminating like Christmas lights. This contrasts with the action of Meridians, which are choreographed in a constant flow by the changing frequencies of the sun, over the course of the day and night.</p>



<p>Eden Energy Medicine explains, &#8220;<em>The radiant circuits function to ensure that all the other energy systems are working for the common good. They redistribute energies to where they are most needed, responding to any health challenge the body might encounter. In terms of evolution, the radiant circuits have been around longer than the meridians. Primitive organisms such as insects move their energies via the radiant circuits rather than through a meridian system, and the radiant circuits can be seen in the embryo before the meridians develop. As in the way that riverbeds are formed, it is as if radiant energies that habitually followed the same course became meridians. Where the meridians are tied to fixed pathways and specific organs, the radiant energies operate as fluid fields, embodying a distinct spontaneous intelligence. Like hyperlinks on a website, they jump instantly to wherever they are needed, bringing revitalization, joy, and spiritual connection. If triple warmer mobilizes your inner militia, the radiant circuits mobilize your inner mom, showering you with healing energy, providing life-sustaining resources, and lifting your morale.&#8221;</em> &#8211;<a href="https://edenenergymedicine.com/the-nine-primary-energy-systems/"> Eden Energy Medicine</a></p>



<p>The Chinese seers and Indian sages devoted themselves to understanding and cultivating their electromagnetic energies through simple, eloquent, sustainable practices including mindfulness, exercise, herbs, meditation, visualization, and massage, as the foundation for a healthy, conscious life.</p>



<p>The Penetrating Flow is one of the “Strange Flows” of Oriental Medicine. The Penetrating Flow has a number of functions, and one is to rewire the body for reproduction. It is partly responsible for the re-distribution of circulation to the sexual zones of the body. Its action has been described as the gentle feeling of butterflies in the stomach associated with falling in love, which can evolve to a warm feeling in the vicinity of the underwear, (but humans can attach many diverse emotional expressions and experiences to physical intimacy, including violence.)</p>



<p>In a remarkable irony, the same deeply internal energy field that wires humans for intimacy also manifests the survival strategy of disgust and repulsion, for example, when we smell rotten meat.</p>



<p>The body literally reorganizes its energy to prevent us from ingesting something harmful. This aspect of the Penetrating Flow can also be activated in cases of overwhelming shock and emotional upset, for example, witnessing a gruesome accident, or hearing emotionally traumatic news that overwhelms our ability to integrate and assimilate. We lose our appetite, literally.</p>



<p>The Penetrating Flow should not be actively engaged all the time. We do not want to be in a constant state of either disgust or sexual arousal, because in either state, the body&#8217;s energetic, spatial, mechanical, and bio-chemical constitution has been altered, intelligently, for a reason, but not for prolonged application.</p>



<p><strong>Seeking to Impact the Audience &#8211; Social Media, Telecommunications, and Politics as an Unprecedented Force Multiplier of Arousal, Disgust</strong>, <strong>and/or Disharmony</strong></p>



<p>When disgust, shock, stress or arousal is running the show, other capacities are diminished.</p>



<p>For example, we need to be able to digest food.</p>



<p>But we are living in an age where the advertising industry, media, and entertainment industry are constantly attempting to activate and direct energies of either arousal or disgust within us, and/or to get us to eat or buy something &#8211; often at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and for the wrong reasons. </p>



<p>Divisiveness was stoked during the pandemic and fueled a misunderstood sense of power.  Intolerance and hatred is not power. The dynamic can be re-assessed and addressed as a lower interfering energy, rather than sustained and amplified. Without question, our current political process is being driven by disgust towards those who don&#8217;t agree with us, from both sides of the political aisle, in different ways.</p>



<p>The underlying economic and political paradigm is one of exploitation, and &#8220;taking&#8221; from another, including subtle energy, data, self-governance, and the right to &#8216;the Commons,&#8221; now including space and the health of the oceans. </p>



<p><strong>Who is Minding the Store?</strong></p>



<p>The passage through adolescence and into adulthood can be viewed as learning to manage one&#8217;s own sense of personal power and self-mastery including one&#8217;s sexual energy, which includes the Penetrating Flow. The three scenarios above describing a cashier in a store can be interpreted via the dynamics of the Penetrating Flow.</p>



<p>The first transaction with an attentive cashier is neutral and does not seek to draw energy from one party to the other.</p>



<p>The second example of the cashier with the phone visible in the bra is less neutral. While seeking to appear not to be interested in others, dressing provocatively relative to cultural norms generally seeks attention from &#8220;the audience.&#8221; </p>



<p>Technology, social media, the internet, and &#8216;likes&#8217; have exponentially amplified the negatives of seeking attention from &#8216;an audience,&#8217; and the dangers inherent in an economic system and mass culture cultivating imbalance, energy illiteracy, and addiction.</p>



<p><strong>Instinct Injured Power Dynamics</strong> <strong>vs. Intention</strong></p>



<p>The third dynamic of piercing the face is more complex, and this is where we find the link to the cybertruck and displays of power.</p>



<p>Many cultures, past and present, have incorporated body piercing and tattooing for any number of reasons, <em>including beauty, and preparing for war</em>. For example, it has been reported that some Native American cultures tattooed Stomach 36, recognizing that activating and massaging the electromagnetic point known as <a href="https://yinyanghouse.com/theory/acupuncturepoints/st36/">3-mile leg on the Stomach Meridian </a>would increase endurance.</p>



<p>This is not a commentary on all manifestations of tattooing and piercing, throughout time. </p>



<p>This is about unconscious and unskilled manipulation and alteration of bioenergy, including non-benefiting and non-consensual impacts on others.</p>



<p>Discernment regarding tattooing and piercing has to do with <em>intention, and with literacy</em> (or lack of literacy) regarding the body&#8217;s energy fields.</p>



<p>When we don&#8217;t know what we are doing relative to these energies, we are lost in space and time, with unanticipated results, including the possibility of long-term health damage.</p>



<p>A &#8216;witness&#8217; with a strong intuitional body will recoil with an inborn aversion to harmful piercings on the face, for example, those that activate the start and endpoints of the Meridians, even without any formal training in energy medicine. This is because our intuitional bodies carry intelligences far beyond the conscious mind.</p>



<p>One teacher calls this his &#8220;spiny sense&#8221; of heightened alert, when we need to pay more attention to our gut instincts.</p>



<p>When our inborn energy intelligence is operational and not desensitized, we cringe and recoil at the sight of a painful-looking metal stake impaling the face because the resulting overcharged energy field in an individual or group subconsciously transmits risks. The intuitional body registers danger.</p>



<p>The practice of activating &#8216;overcharge&#8217; in the military in order to drive them into battle has been practiced in many cultures. One of the most horrific examples of loss of control occurred with the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/My-Lai-Massacre">My Lai massacre, during the Vietnam War</a>. (There may have been others, including in 2002, when <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/4-wives-slain-in-6-weeks-at-fort-bragg/">four wives were slain by their soldier husbands in 6 weeks</a> at Fort Bragg.) </p>



<p>Back at the store, the instinct-injured individual with the pierced eyebrows may experience the recoil of the observer&#8217;s aura as &#8216;power over another.&#8217; This dynamic unconsciously feeds the ego of the individual with the piercings. The energy exchange between the two individuals is distorted and polluted by power dynamics, (although there are energy medicine strategies available for protection from metabolizing unwanted energies, including<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz4Kd1KxQ-A"> &#8216;zipping up&#8217; the Central Meridian</a>.) </p>



<p>This dynamic may be why the piercing was done in the first place &#8211; for attention. We will never be able to figure out if piercing and tattooing can be used for healing, until we look. </p>



<p>When we give a wide berth to the metal cybertruck with its blackened windows, we experience the same invasive expression of power-over-another.</p>



<p>We know why a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/19/europe/chechnya-kadyrov-musk-tesla-cybertruck-intl/index.html">Chechen warlord was driving a gun-mounted Tesla cybertruck</a>.</p>



<p>We also know that Europeans have taken steps to make their roads safer. In a recent letter, the European Transport Safety Council, Eurocities, Clean Cities, Transport &amp; Environment, POLIS – Cities and Regions for Transport Innovation, International Federation of Pedestrians, and the European Cyclists’ Federation <strong>opposed the approval of a cybertruck on the roads in the Czech Republic.</strong></p>



<p>Carscoops <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/even-with-rubber-edges-critics-want-tesla-s-cybertruck-off-europe-s-roads/ar-AA1rYTF1">reported,</a> &#8220;Despite the required modifications, they sent a letter to the local government expressing <strong>serious concerns about the electric truck’s shape, weight, and size. </strong>Apparently, they believe that having a vehicle shaped like a giant, unyielding wedge might not be the safest choice on the roads. [] To gain approval as a privately imported vehicle, the Cybertruck’s <strong>infamous sharp edges were reluctantly dressed with rubber moldings, an attempt to make it slightly less dangerous for pedestrians</strong>—though one wonders if anyone actually feels safer. Additionally, the<strong> LED headlights and taillights were tweaked with yellow indicators to align with European regulations</strong>. [] Campaigners argue that even at this seemingly deflated weight, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.carscoops.com/tag/trucks">truck</a>&nbsp;fails to meet regulations for the N1 category when fully loaded. <strong>European laws require heavy vehicles to be fitted with speed limiters,</strong> a rule that seems to have been overlooked in this case. The letter doesn’t stop there. It highlights <strong>the truck’s enormous footprint, expansive blind spots, lack of crumple zones, and extreme acceleration</strong>, all of which they say pose a real<strong> danger</strong> to pedestrians and other road users. For these reasons, campaigners argue that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.carscoops.com/tag/tesla/">Tesla</a>&nbsp;Cybertrucks currently on European roads should be de-registered and removed from public streets.<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/even-with-rubber-edges-critics-want-tesla-s-cybertruck-off-europe-s-roads/ar-AA1rYTF1">Even With Rubber Edges, Critics Want Tesla’s Cybertruck Off Europe’s Roads (msn.com)</a></p>



<p>What we don&#8217;t know is why America ignores the implications of these armored cars,</p>



<p>Is it possible that the quest for self-mastery could eclipse monetizing &#8211; beyond the planet&#8217;s limits &#8211; the need for power imbalances? Can self-esteem be expressed as a force for good?  </p>



<p><strong>The Iceman&#8217;s Medicinal Herbs and Genetics</strong></p>



<p>The story of Ötzi implies that 5,300 years ago, the practice of tattooing certain acupuncture points was linked to sophisticated, individualized health care.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="392" height="554" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image.png" alt="" class="wp-image-27816" style="width:276px;height:auto" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image.png 392w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image-212x300.png 212w" sizes="(max-width: 392px) 100vw, 392px" /></figure>
</div>


<p class="has-text-align-center"><strong>Image Courtesy Flo Freshman</strong></p>



<p>In 1991 “a spectacularly preserved mummy of a man who was murdered about 5,300 years ago” was unearthed. “The iceman, the oldest glacier-bound mummy ever discovered, was found by hikers in Italy&#8217;s Ötztal Alps in 1991, and since then, scientists have scrutinized almost every aspect of the man&#8217;s life,” as reported by <a href="https://www.livescience.com/63682-otzi-ice-man-took-medical-treatment.html">Live Science</a>. “Genetic analysis revealed that the iceman had a host of ailments at the time of his murder (by a blow to the head). For instance, Ötzi was a heart attack waiting to happen, with narrowed arteries, and he had arthritic knees and rotten teeth, a likely case of Lyme disease, and signs of stomach ulcers.&#8221; &#8211;<em> <a href="https://www.livescience.com/63682-otzi-ice-man-took-medical-treatment.html">Live Science </a></em></p>



<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1879981718300883">Possible evidence for care and treatment in the Tyrolean Iceman</a> was published in the International Journal of Paleopathology Volume 25, June 2019, Pages 110-117. The article discussed findings about what he had eaten, and outlined genetic findings.</p>



<p><strong>The Mummy and the Meridians: “Ötzi the Iceman&#8217;s Tattoos May Have Been a Primitive Form of Acupuncture”</strong></p>



<p>One of the most fascinating aspects of the story is that the international community was able to discern that <strong>“Ötzi the Iceman&#8217;s Tattoos May Have Been a Primitive Form of Acupuncture.”</strong> “In addition, the iceman was inked; Ötzi was covered in 61 tattoos. The tattoos were all simple stripes with two crosses, so <strong>they didn&#8217;t seem to be decorative</strong>. Given the look and location of these tattoos, <strong>the researchers think the markings were a form of medical treatment</strong>.” &#8220;The tattoos are all located at body regions where the iceman had some health issues and probably experienced periods of pain. For example, he had degenerative diseases of his hip, knee, ankle joints and lower back. Most of the tattoos are located [on] the legs and the lower back,&#8221; Zink said.”[] “chest tattoos may have been used to soothe belly discomfort; he had intestinal parasites and a Helicobacter pylori infection. And <strong>some of the inked spots corresponded to traditional acupuncture &#8220;pressure points,&#8221;</strong> suggesting to some researchers that the iceman underwent a form of acupuncture, Zink said. (Most scientists believe acupuncture first arose in China, and the first written description of it derives from 2,200 years ago, but it could have arisen earlier in some other location, like Europe, Zink said.) At the time of his death, the iceman had a &#8220;medicinal mushroom&#8221; known as birch polypore in his digestive system. Birch polypore is thought to have anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing properties, Zink said. Ötzi had also consumed ferns, which could have been either a primitive food wrapper that Ötzi mistakenly ate or a treatment to kill off the parasitic worms that plagued the iceman, Zink said.” – <a href="https://www.livescience.com/63682-otzi-ice-man-took-medical-treatment.html">Live Science</a> </p>



<p>Smithsonian Magazine reported <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/what-otzi-icemans-tattoos-reveal-about-copper-age-medical-practices-180970244">“What Ötzi the Iceman’s Tattoos Reveal About Copper Age Medical Practices. New study argues that the 5,300-year-old Iceman’s community boasted surprisingly advanced health care techniques.”</a> The article’s lead photo caption reads, “The Iceman&#8217;s tattoos align with classic acupuncture points, and the plants found amongst his belongings have well-known medical applications.”</p>



<p>Science Magazine also stated,” <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/5000-year-old-iceman-may-have-benefited-sophisticated-health-care-system">5000-year-old ‘Iceman&#8217; may have benefited from a sophisticated health care system</a>, New look at Ötzi’s tattoos and medicines suggest complex medical culture,” also linking to locations of his 61 tattoos to the healing science of acupuncture.</p>



<p>“Previous studies have found that Ötzi carried a number of suspected medicines either on him or in him. Fastened to leather bands in his equipment, researchers found the birch polypore fungus, which the Iceman may have used to calm inflammation or as an antibiotic. Scientists also found bracken fern in his stomach, which can be used to treat intestinal parasites such as tapeworm. And Ötzi was covered with 61 tattoos [] including dotlike points around joints, which some researchers believe may have been used as pain treatment akin to an early form of acupuncture.</p>



<p>In the new study, scientists took a closer look at Ötzi&#8217;s tattoos. Some lines and dots were directly over his wrist and ankles which suffered from degenerative diseases, and many correspond to traditional acupuncture points, they report in the International Journal of Paleopathology. The markings would have taken a long time to produce, and this sophisticated practice—along with the variety of herbs and medicines—would have likely been developed through <strong>a dedicated, systematic trial-and-error approach</strong> that was passed down through generations in the society in which Ötzi lived, the team concludes. All of this—combined with the sophisticated use of plants and fungi to treat ailments—suggests Ötzi <strong>was part of a culture with some knowledge of anatomy, how diseases arise, and how to treat them,</strong> the scientists say. <em>What they don&#8217;t know is whether any of these treatments actually worked.” – <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/5000-year-old-iceman-may-have-benefited-sophisticated-health-care-system">Science.org</a></em></p>



<p><strong>“What they don&#8217;t know is whether any of these treatments actually worked” Reflects that Our Current Mass Consumer Culture and For-profit Medical Culture is Sustained by Our &#8216;Not Knowing&#8217; and Our Unwillingness to Look</strong></p>



<p>Scientists were able to examine a 5,300-year-old corpse and recognize the direct connection with acupuncture maps. But &#8220;Science.org&#8221; reported that “we don’t know whether any of these treatments worked.” It<em> wasn’t</em> because the Western mainstream medical industry is not aware that Chinese medicine has mapped out the electromagnetic pathways in the body, as the foundation of both self-care and healing, designed to harmonize the organism with the Cosmic Current that choreographs all of life on Earth.</p>



<p>It also was <em>not </em>because scientists had no idea where the points or pathways are, or what capacities they might carry. A simple search online will offer links to images of the Meridian pathways and their point applications, available to all.</p>



<p>It<em> is </em>related to the fact that we do not want to evaluate the effects of our wireless devices and technologies on our electromagnetic energies, because if we did, we would have to address the harm. The centralized power structure does not want to let go of the top-down power, control, and concentrated wealth enabled by data, and the consumers do not want to let go of the convenience, sense of personal power and control, and the 24/7 dopamine drip.</p>



<p>The dismissive conclusion by Science.org <em>is </em>related to entrenched economic interests that foster insidious intellectual arrogance.</p>



<p>For example, in 2021, Psychology Today published, &#8220;<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/science-made-practical/202103/believing-acupuncture-works-doesn-t-mean-it-actually-does">Believing Acupuncture Works Doesn’t Mean It Actually Does</a>, Acupuncture is alluring pseudoscience.&#8217; In 2024, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2024/01/29/no-washington-post-acupuncture-still-doesnt-work/">No, Washington Post, Acupuncture Still Doesn’t Work</a>, was published by Forbes. In July of 2024, Science-Based Medicine published<a href="https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/acupuncture-and-evidence-based-medicine/"> &#8220;Acupuncture and Evidence Based Medicine&#8221;</a> <em>The plausibility of acupuncture is very low, because there is no known mechanism, and outside of short-term pain and nausea reduction, for any medical application of acupuncture there is no plausible even theoretical mechanism.</em></p>



<p>We can assume that none of these organizations humbled themselves to attempt to understand the science that underlies Chinese Medicine. Recognition is power. </p>



<p>Albert Eistein observed, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” </p>



<p><strong>Piercing the Energy Pathways</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="823" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/studded-faces-xl-1-1024x823.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27814" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/studded-faces-xl-1-1024x823.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/studded-faces-xl-1-300x241.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/studded-faces-xl-1-768x617.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/studded-faces-xl-1-600x482.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/studded-faces-xl-1.jpg 1122w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>When we overlay piercings with available maps of the Meridian pathways and electromagnetic energies, we can see that the woman with the metal embedded in the inside corner of her eyes may be causing harm to her <a href="https://yinyanghouse.com/theory/acupuncturepoints/bladder_meridian_graphic/">Bladder Meridian</a> and the associated resonant field. The woman with the piercing on the outer edges of the Eyebrow may be adversely impacting the <a href="https://yinyanghouse.com/theory/acupuncturepoints/gallbladder_meridian_graphic/">Gall Bladder</a> and <a href="https://yinyanghouse.com/theory/acupuncturepoints/tripleheater_meridian_graphic/">Triple Heater</a> meridian energies. Indiscriminately activating these Yang meridians is most likely not without consequence.</p>



<p>Understanding and balancing these energies could instead become the basis of a healing and self-care renaissance.</p>



<p><strong>When Things Don&#8217;t Look the Way They Should</strong></p>



<p>My friend&#8217;s dog is miserable each October when the neighborhood is decorated for Halloween and monsters and goblins are flapping in the wind. His inborn alarm system is registering risk, because things don&#8217;t look the way that they should.</p>



<p>There are too many things in our environment that don&#8217;t look the way that they should look, that have been normalized by our unrelenting exposures and desensitization, as well as addictions.</p>



<p>One of the most alarming issues is the inescapable transmission of ubiquitous layers of artificial manmade EMF/RF/5G frequencies into the airwaves, juxtaposed with the practice of instinct-injured metal piercings, because <strong>metal acts as an antenna</strong>. Piercings can become unintentional antennas for harmful internalized exposures</p>



<p>International RF regulations regarding exposures do not account for metal in the body, including implants.</p>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
<p>There should be an open debate about the safety of&nbsp;<strong>radio frequency and microwave radiation</strong>. &#8211; <a href="https://rfinfo.co.uk/">Home &#8211; RFInfo</a></p>
</blockquote>



<p><strong>Confronting &#8216;Overcharge&#8217;</strong></p>



<p>Warriors have used various strategies to place themselves into a state of frenzied overdrive in order to inflict pain on others in battle, and our Penetrating Flows understand this mechanism. Our energy intelligence recognizes the risks and the imbalance, even if we do not possess conscious awareness. </p>



<p>We can&#8217;t come to understand or even study the actions of the Radiant Circuits by examining cadavers, or by studying laboratory animals under controlled conditions.</p>



<p>Our current science paradigm can&#8217;t support the level of integration that is needed to return each individual to self-mastery and self-sovereignty.</p>



<p>Insight and change can come from the choices of individuals, everywhere, to stop riding an unexamined, distorted technology wave.</p>



<p>We need to re-sensitize ourselves to our inborn wisdom; and to use our energetic capacities as good medicine for one another and our home planet. For example, the physical body has the ability to provide individual feedback about a particular food or medication. Our &#8216;scientific&#8217; method of conducting double blind testing drugs against a placebo on groups is a gamble at best, and manslaughter in far too many cases.</p>



<p><strong>Energy Intelligence in Action</strong> </p>



<p>We can redirect our focus to the still quiet sensory system inside that recoils at the sight of the unexamined juxtapositions of technology and biology&#8230; including earbuds near the brain, a person eating GMO altered industrialized  junk food, a cellphone held against the head, a transmitter on a whale, a rocket laden with weapons and antennas heading into space, a cell tower next to a home or nursery school, a teen with low self-esteem encountering pornography or bullying on the internet, a child in the Congo mining cobalt, a connected vehicle spewing RF; a cell phone carried over the heart in a shirt pocket, tucked in a bra, or near the reproductive organs; a child throwing a tantrum and being soothed by a device, thousands of satellites filling the Low Earth atmosphere for which we have no trash pick-up.</p>



<p>Meta-studies by compromised experts and industry will not give us the right answers.</p>



<p>Many of these technologies have unleashed unspeakable harm on those who are more sensitive to artificial frequencies, especially women and children.</p>



<p>We need a new litmus test to determine whether a new invention, technology, or consumer product is designed to serve the greater good.</p>



<p>For example, the clean energy community indicted itself when it ignored the profound suffering and disability caused by wireless smart utility meters, installed under the guise of sustainability while enabling massive surveillance. If a manufacturer or government does not conduct appropriate pre-market testing, and does not address reported harm, claims regarding benefits are not legitimate. When those experiencing damage are on the receiving end of the disgust, marginalization, and ridicule that is powered by the Penetrating Flow and the manipulation of the media, dual use technologies causing harm don&#8217;t receive appropriate scrutiny.</p>



<p></p>



<p>Like the helix that represents our DNA, our inventiveness has been traveling away from the laws that govern our biology and our internal and external environment. We are at the bending, the point of tension where we need to shift our trajectory. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" src="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/road-5710320_1280-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-28051" srcset="https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/road-5710320_1280-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/road-5710320_1280-300x200.jpg 300w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/road-5710320_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/road-5710320_1280-600x400.jpg 600w, https://safetechinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/road-5710320_1280.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image by&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/alexman89-10638719/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=5710320">Alexandru Manole</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=5710320">Pixabay</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>When we hit the sharp turn, we need to slow down. If you are at the fork in the road choosing between mastering more tech or learning from nature, chose nature. </p>



<p>&#8220;You, whose day it is, get out your rainbow colors and make it beautiful.&#8221;                      &#8211; Traditional Nootra Song</p>



<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Resources:</strong></p>



<p><strong>Tracing Meridians with Donna Eden!</strong> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv5dkvMg1z4">YOUTUBE</a> 7 1/2 MINUTES</p>



<p><strong><a href="https://edenenergymedicine.com/donnas-daily-energy-routine/">Donna’s Daily Energy Routine</a></strong> &#8220;This is a quick and easy routine that you can do in just a few minutes to build your immune system, gain energy, feel younger, and relieve pain.&#8221;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Donna Eden&#039;s Daily Energy Routine [OFFICIAL VERSION]" width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Di5Ua44iuXc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p><strong>Learn to Trace the Radiant Circuits:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7-sunOOGK0">Tracing the Radiant Circuits with Prune Harris</a></strong> 6-minute video</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe title="Tracing the Radiant Circuits with Prune Harris" width="720" height="405" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u7-sunOOGK0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p><strong>Learn about</strong> <strong><a href="https://keithcutter.substack.com/p/the-need-for-synthetic-emf-exposure">The Need for Synthetic EMF Exposure Guidelines</a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href="https://keithcutter.substack.com/">Keith Cutter of EMF Remedy</a></strong></p>



<p class="has-text-align-left"><strong>Learn About Sensitivity to Electromagnetic Fields:</strong> Dr. Courtney Snyder: <a href="https://courtneysnydermd.substack.com/p/electromagnetic-hypersensitivity"><strong>Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity in Children &amp; Adults</strong></a> Symptoms, Brain Impacts, Factors That Increase Vulnerability, Diagnosis, Treatment, MTHFR, COMT, &amp; Why Children Are Especially Susceptible (24-minute audio) (Biomarkers that have been used: Blood pressure and heart rate (to assess change in the autonomic nervous system) are also expected to increase; Salivary cortisol levels are expected to increase after exposure; <a href="https://courtneysnydermd.substack.com/p/regulating-blood-sugar-for-the-brain?r=2rxjs4">Blood glucose</a>&nbsp;levels are expected to increase after exposure.&nbsp;</p>



<p class="has-text-align-left"><strong>Learn About Sensitivity to Electromagnetic Fields from a Chinese Medicine Perspective</strong>: In May of 2002,<a href="https://www.elotus.org/product/tcm-treatments-emf-sensitivity">&nbsp;<strong>“TCM Treatments for EMF Sensitivity | Acupuncture CEU Course”</strong></a>&nbsp;was taught by Wisconsin acupuncturist and functional medicine practitioner Michelle Meramour, Dipl.Ac. An introductory overview (1 hour 18 minutes) of the interactive day-long professional CEU training is available free online<strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEMfGMdo-iM"> here</a>.</strong> Michele created a body feedback system rooted in TCM acupuncture that uses Six Level Theory to diagnose and treat EHS.From Michele’s feedback system, in the first stage, EMF infiltrates the body via two meridian pathways: Small Intestine, and Urinary Bladder. &nbsp; In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Small Intestine is associated with the entire enteric nervous system, ie the ‘gut. Michelle Meramour explains “In the Body-Feedback system, the tai yang meridians (Small intestine and Urinary Bladder) correspond with the hypothalamus, which determines how information is processed through the autonomic nervous system. The hypothalamus then creates hormones via the pituitary gland and endocrine system connection. Symptoms of EMFs affecting tai yang include poor quality sleep, general hypersensitivity, ANS dysfunction, weak immune function, and moodiness.” As she addresses the other five levels of disharmony associated with the five additional meridian pairs, she discusses histamines, allergies, MAST cell activation, chronic inflammation, and manifestations of deeper levels of imbalance that are very familiar to the EHS patient and practitioner population, including cardiac conditions.</p>



<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Fact Checking</strong> <strong>Endnotes:</strong></p>



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<p>The origins of acupuncture are implied to have been derived from &#8220;trial and error&#8221; by the Science.org. However, it is known there are individuals who have the ability to &#8220;see energy.&#8221;  An alternative history indicates that the sages could &#8216;see&#8217; energy and codified the knowledge for all. The alternative narrative also implies that many indigenous groups had/have the capability to &#8216;see&#8217; energy, providing the ability to identify beneficial herbs, etc. even without use of the written word, but were reluctant to explain to conquerors how they accessed their expertise.  His-story is his story&#8230;interpreted by the dominator culture, and subject to further evolution. Yours, mine, everyone&#8217;s.</p>



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