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"No 10 seeks to end coronavirus lockdown with 'immunity passports'"
Since I've already had to 'HELL NO' someone who was musing "How about ... a badge that show you're safe?" about two weeks ago, and it's now starting to show up in the news, a thread. 1/n https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/02/no-10-seeks-to-end-covid-19-lockdown-with-immunity-passports
Since I've already had to 'HELL NO' someone who was musing "How about ... a badge that show you're safe?" about two weeks ago, and it's now starting to show up in the news, a thread. 1/n https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/apr/02/no-10-seeks-to-end-covid-19-lockdown-with-immunity-passports
First, let's just go there straight away, since that's where this ends up anyway, and then explain why it will, why 'HELL NO' is the reaction you should be having to this, and so forth.
YES. NAZIS. CONCENTRATION CAMPS. 2/n
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_concentration_camp_badge
YES. NAZIS. CONCENTRATION CAMPS. 2/n
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_concentration_camp_badge
Second, let's have a look at what has already happened, so far. Hungary, for example, where Orbán can now rule by decree, indefinitely. 3/n https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/31/coronavirus-is-a-chance-for-authoritarian-leaders-to-tighten-their-grip
The US, where ICE abused 'stay at home' orders to make it easier to round up undocumented migrants. 4/n https://twitter.com/RAICESTEXAS/status/1239934724921004032
China's success in containing the virus, so far, was in no small part due to fairly draconian measures that separated families, put the infected into 'corona hotels', at least one of which collapsed. 5/n https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/07/70-people-trapped-after-hotel-used-for-coronavirus-quarantine-collapses-in-china-reuters.html
South Korea managed to contain its spread in part by tracking the badge that everyone carries already; their mobile phone.
There's an app for that, quite literally; show me where the infected are, so I can avoid them.
See also; Taiwan, Israel. 6/n https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/17/israel-to-track-mobile-phones-of-suspected-coronavirus-cases
There's an app for that, quite literally; show me where the infected are, so I can avoid them.
See also; Taiwan, Israel. 6/n https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/17/israel-to-track-mobile-phones-of-suspected-coronavirus-cases
Pretty much every country is considering this, at this point, including yours. Those surveillance capitalists that we've been warning you about for years, harvesting all your data, such as Facebook, Google?
Happily collaborating for the greater good. 7/n https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-facebook-location-idUSKBN21K3BJ
Happily collaborating for the greater good. 7/n https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-facebook-location-idUSKBN21K3BJ
Here's a thread from almost a year ago, about Google's Sensorvault, which contains the data that most Android phones collect by default, and has already gotten people arrested without cause.
You think your government will hesitate to use this? 8/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1117164626385473536
You think your government will hesitate to use this? 8/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1117164626385473536
Do you really think that, with most of our data in the hands of American companies, and the US most affected by now, there will be any hesitation on the part of private enterprise that has already expressed their patriotism in the past? 9/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1111542468074524672
I mean, white people being healthy and not dying is one of the key 'freedoms we enjoy' and need to protect in the West, right?
Basically every tech company has examples of this. 10/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1100296691184480257
Basically every tech company has examples of this. 10/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1100296691184480257
The list of examples I can give you for this is long and varied, but let's get Amazon in here, since they are everyone's favourite source of toilet paper right now. 11/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1090914940381249537
And don't think your local data protection agency is going to raise a stink about this, right now. The Dutch DPA, the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens, already said as much, has announced delays on existing investigations.
And we have history. 12/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/796621487809695744
And we have history. 12/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/796621487809695744
Every existing source of surveillance data will be up for grabs now, regardless of its original scope. This is basically exactly the kind of scenario I worry about when I warn people about the potential for abuse. 13/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1184477347430457344
Read the threads I am linking to. Not so I can say "I told you so", but so you become aware of the overwhelming amount of evidence that is out there. That was there already, in the before times, when you did not feel the need to worry, yet. 14/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1074933515211427840
Remember, people WANT to snitch. Every single bit of hate and prejudice comes into play when you give white people permission to report 'deviant' behaviour. They are already doing so, even when the government tells them not to. 15/n https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-denunciati-idUSKBN21K2PB
Seriously, there's a long history of this. Germany just happens to be this week's coronavirus example I have readily available, but the Dutch are no better. Nor are white people anywhere else, including in the UK, the US, etc. 16/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/797387052983656448
Here's another example, of the Dutch police gamifying finding stolen cars with a Pokémon-style app. 17/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/916604703860981760
I could go on for another dozen tweets, but if you're not convinced that the data and the willingness to abuse it already existed, by now, just stop reading.
For everyone else; this will amplify existing cruelty. See ICE, Fortress Europe, etc. 18/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1007604550864338944
For everyone else; this will amplify existing cruelty. See ICE, Fortress Europe, etc. 18/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1007604550864338944
The Other will be hardest hit, in all this. Hungary was moving towards this well before this crisis hit, for example, with laws like this moving through a parliament they already dominated. 19/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1245950712716177410
And if you think that doesn't affect you, where you are, how many examples do you need? This is global, and almost four years of Trump have done a lot of damage. 20/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1107689344872169477
Like, do you really think that everything we've seen so far, in terms of 'dirty' immigrants, white supremacist rhetoric around 'cleanliness' and 'purity', won't be massively amplified when the US was already willing to pull shit like this? 21/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1016666344769708032
Do we really think that the Western media will accurately and objectively report on this, when they were happy to feature TERFs, nazi fashion profiles and such before their own lives and businesses were on the line due to a global pandemic? 22/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1111161929261826048
They weren't willing to call a spade a spade before this. Why would it be any different now, after years of moving the Overton window on right-wing rhetoric around eugenics, who is 'deserving', and so forth? 23/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/1028197320490401793
Also, when it comes to 'immunity passports', remember that basically everyone who muses about badges that would make them feel safe can do so because they have never had to live without their Western passport, their privilege, etc. https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/997476459794128896
I mean, if you're still not worried about "badges that show that you're safe", at this point, check your privilege.
Seriously, take a few minutes, and consider why this does not SCARE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOU.
I'll wait.
No, you're not done yet. Few more minutes. 25/n
Seriously, take a few minutes, and consider why this does not SCARE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOU.
I'll wait.
No, you're not done yet. Few more minutes. 25/n
Consider what such a system would entail, whether it's badges, certificates, passports, or whatever they will call it. The name doesn't really matter.
BECAUSE
IF YOU ARE MARKING
INDIVIDUALS AS SAFE
EVERYONE ELSE ISN'T
PROVE THAT YOU ARE *PURE*
26/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/797079373916622848
BECAUSE
IF YOU ARE MARKING
INDIVIDUALS AS SAFE
EVERYONE ELSE ISN'T
PROVE THAT YOU ARE *PURE*
26/n https://twitter.com/sindarina/status/797079373916622848
I mean, that's before you even get to the practical limitations of the proof that would be required in terms of antibody testing and whatnot, for which there is no evidence as of yet that it will last, etc.
But that won't matter anyway. The economy will demand it. 27/n
But that won't matter anyway. The economy will demand it. 27/n
Do you really think that this will be FAIR, and JUST? For something that is inherently white supremacist, ableist, ageist, and biased towards the 'nuclear family'?
With the governments currently in power, and the people that voted them there demanding WHITE PEOPLE BE SAFE? 28/n
With the governments currently in power, and the people that voted them there demanding WHITE PEOPLE BE SAFE? 28/n
Like, for example, if you're in the UK, which is where the example at the start of this thread is from, remember what your current government stands for, what Brexit was about, how they handled austerity, poverty, Grenfell.
They were willing to let it 'run its course' 29/n
They were willing to let it 'run its course' 29/n
That's basically what the original 'herd immunity' strategy was about, right? They backed away from that because of the outrage, but also because it would simply overwhelm the healthcare system, and thus threaten themselves. Do you think they would have without the latter? 30/n
