UK Government Plots Digital ID Lockdown On Every Phone In Lockstep With Big Tech

UK Government Plots Digital ID Lockdown On Every Phone In Lockstep With Big Tech

Steve Watson

The Labour government in Britain is accelerating its assault on digital privacy under the well-worn banner of child protection. Fresh plans leaked to the press reveal ministers intend to compel Apple, Google and other tech firms to restrict smartphones so thoroughly that a digital ID will be needed to use them with unfettered access.

The mechanism comes in the form of expanded age verification that effectively demands digital identification for device setup and use. 

What is sold as safeguarding the young is shaping up as a backdoor mandate for every adult in Britain to submit ID just to operate a phone or go online.

This development lands alongside Google's confirmation that it will soon bring digital IDs to Android devices in the UK via Google Wallet. Users will record a short video selfie and scan a government-issued ID to add a digital version of their passport or other documents.

The feature, already rolling out in select EU countries this summer, is explicitly tied to the UK's Online Safety Act requirements for age checks on content involving self-harm, eating disorders, bullying and pornography.

Google is exploring certification under the government's digital identity trust framework, which could extend its use to everyday purchases such as alcohol.

Apple has already implemented similar restrictions on iOS devices in Britain, forcing age confirmation or locking users into limited "child mode."

Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo has been blunt about where this leads. "Protecting children online is vital, but these are outrageous plans that will fail to address the underlying causes of online harm. This will only result in population-wide ID checks for all of us to use our phones, tablets and laptops."

She continued: "Put simply, the Labour Government is introducing ID checks for the internet. No one in a democracy should need to show their passport just to get online."

Carlo warned that the proposals replace genuine parental responsibility and meaningful tech design with "performative, authoritarian government control that children can easily circumvent by accessing adult-registered devices." For the UK's fifty million adult internet users, the outcome is stark: "this backdoor digital ID requirement would invoke the death of anonymity and internet privacy."

The mechanics are chilling. Without submitting to intrusive ID checks during device setup, users face a "chokehold on your software and internet access leaving you with a child-locked device." Restrictions on messaging, streaming and browsing open the door to client-side scanning - government spyware sitting in every pocket. Carlo noted this has long been a GCHQ ambition and "will be exploited for other purposes before long."

The bigger picture involving "The Government mandating that all phones/devices in Britain require ID and surveillance software is a crossing of the Rubicon that would make the UK one of the most authoritarian internet regimes in the world."

The story broke via a leak to The Times rather than any parliamentary process. Carlo called it a travesty: "This extreme technological censorship requires rigorous public and parliamentary scrutiny that is totally missing." Big Brother Watch has pledged to fight the measures.

These phone-level controls do not exist in isolation. They slot directly into the UK's wider digital ID infrastructure, already exposed as a dystopian experiment in mass surveillance.

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Congo Ebola cases jump as CDC warns outbreak could be among largest ever

Congo Ebola cases jump as CDC warns outbreak could be among largest ever

Jason Gale

Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo jumped by 71 in a day and another 21 deaths were recorded as health workers expanded testing in the mining town where the outbreak is believed to have begun, pointing to an epidemic that may be much bigger than previously understood.

The infections brought the number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 452 and deaths among confirmed patients to 82, according to a reportreleased Friday by Congo’s National Institute of Public Health. Health authorities have begun processing samples in Mongbwalu, an artisanal gold-mining center in Ituri province the epicenter of the outbreak, reducing delays in confirming suspected cases.

Researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Friday that the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak could become one of the largest Ebola epidemics ever recorded if control measures fail to accelerate. The epidemic’s size when it was first detected suggests extensive undetected transmission, the agency said.

The outbreak has spread across more than two dozen health zones in three eastern Congolese provinces and into neighboring Uganda, where the number of confirmed cases increased by three Friday to 19. It is unfolding in a region marked by armed conflict, mass displacement, porous borders and fragile health systems, complicating efforts to identify cases and trace contacts.

The World Health Organization and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention launched a joint continental preparedness and response plan seeking about $319 million through November to support outbreak control in affected countries and strengthen readiness across neighboring nations. The final plan estimates total funding needs at $518 million.

Many confirmed patients developed symptoms between May 14 and May 23, followed by a second cluster of symptom onset between May 25 and June 3, health officials said. The pattern suggests the virus was continuing to spread in communities before the outbreak was formally recognized.

The finding aligns with a modeling analysis by the US CDC. The high probability of a large outbreak stems primarily from the size of the epidemic at the time it was first detected rather than evidence that the virus is spreading unusually efficiently, the agency’s researchers said in a study.

The outbreak “has the potential to quickly become one of the largest Ebola disease outbreaks ever recorded,” they wrote.

he model suggested the outbreak may have originated from a spillover event in February, weeks before authorities were alerted to unexplained illnesses in Ituri. Depending on assumptions about the number of deaths that had already occurred by late May, the analysis estimated the most likely spillover date ranged from late January to mid-February.

Under a scenario in which only 20% of infected patients are rapidly identified and isolated, CDC projected a 65% chance that the outbreak could exceed 20,000 cases within three months. If roughly 70% of patients are isolated, only about one in 20 simulations resulted in outbreaks exceeding 10,000 cases.

Some response indicators have improved. The proportion of contacts successfully followed increased to 58% from 46% two days earlier, while nearly 4,800 contacts are now under monitoring. Health authorities also reported that a new diagnostic laboratory installed in Mongbwalu is bringing testing capacity closer to affected communities.

Containment efforts continue to face obstacles. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement condemned an attack on volunteers carrying out a safe burial operation in Bunia, saying Friday that several responders were injured. “Attacks against volunteers not only endanger lives, they also undermine efforts to contain the outbreak and protect communities,” the organization said.

Unlike the Zaire strain responsible for most major Ebola epidemics, there is no licensed vaccine or approved therapy specifically for Bundibugyo virus disease, though several experimental vaccines and treatments are under development.

US Forces Hit Iranian Sites After Iran Attacks; Lebanon Violence Escalates

US Forces Hit Iranian Sites After Iran Attacks; Lebanon Violence Escalates

Stefan J. Bos

 Armed conflict intensified across the Middle East on Saturday as U.S. forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites after intercepting drones and missiles launched by Iran toward Arab Gulf states, while Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least nine people, including three members of the Lebanese military, officials said.

A Filipino Christian domestic worker in Bahrain told Worthy News she could hear “missiles and bombing” near her workplace early Saturday and said she and other expatriates had endured sleepless nights amid repeated attacks and air raid warnings.

Bahrain activated warning sirens nationwide, while Kuwait reported intercepting missile and drone threats in the early hours of Saturday.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it targeted U.S. bases in the region in retaliation for American strikes and also fired on tankers attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran’s permission.

US STRIKES RADAR SITES

Video footage released by U.S. Central Command and obtained by Worthy News appeared to confirm that American forces struck Iranian coastal radar installations in response to Tehran’s latest attacks.

U.S. Central Command said Iran fired seven ballistic missiles toward Kuwait and Bahrain, with American forces intercepting six while a seventh failed to reach its target. Earlier, U.S. forces also shot down four Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz.

“The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” U.S. Central Command said.

Kuwait’s military said its forces intercepted missiles and drones targeting the country, while Bahrain activated air raid sirens and urged residents to move to the nearest safe location and follow official instructions.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted the Ali Al Salem Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces in Kuwait, and the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.

LEBANON CEASEFIRE UNDER PRESSURE

The regional tensions were compounded by renewed violence in Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this week between Israel and the Lebanese government following U.S.-brokered talks.

The Lebanese army said an Israeli airstrike on a road linking Nabatiyeh and Marjayoun killed a brigadier general, a captain, and another soldier. A separate strike on the southern village of Saksakiyah killed six civilians and wounded four others, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

“The continued, deliberate, and repeated Israeli aggression against Lebanon, its people and its army only strengthens our resolve, faith and determination,” the Lebanese military said in a statement.

The army added that the attacks appeared aimed at undermining efforts “to reach a solution that would restore stability, establish a comprehensive ceasefire and lead to the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories.”

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military regarding the strike that killed the Lebanese troops.

HEZBOLLAH REJECTS AGREEMENT

The Iran-backed Hezbollah movement has rejected the ceasefire agreement, raising concerns that renewed fighting could undermine broader efforts to stabilize the region.

The fighting in Lebanon also threatens attempts to preserve a fragile truce between Iran and the United States, as Tehran has repeatedly linked any lasting regional settlement to developments in Lebanon.

Israel has maintained military operations in parts of southern Lebanon, saying it remains determined to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military infrastructure near the border.

The renewed bloodshed underscored the continuing fragility of ceasefire efforts in the Middle East despite ongoing diplomatic initiatives backed by Washington.

Second Flesh-Eating Screwworm Case Raises Beef Supply Fears As Goldman Warns Outbreak "Could Be Disruptive"

Second Flesh-Eating Screwworm Case Raises Beef Supply Fears As Goldman Warns Outbreak "Could Be Disruptive"

TYLER DURDEN

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed a second New World screwworm (NWS) case in a one-month-old calf in Zavala County, Texas, roughly 5.6 miles from the first confirmed detection.

For now, both cases remain inside what the USDA calls an "established movement control zone and enhanced sterile insect dispersal area." This suggests the outbreak is still contained within the USDA's active response perimeter. Nearby suspect cattle tests have been negative so far, limiting signs of broader spread at this point.

USDA confirmed the second NWS case late Friday. The agency reported the first case on Thursday (read the report).

The detection of NWS in the U.S. - once eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s - has seen an ongoing resurgence across Panama, Central America, a, nd Mexico. NWS burrows into living flesh, causing serious livestock damage and economic losses. 

This biological threat to the U.S. cattle herd comes as the nation's herd level is already at a 75-year low, beef prices are at record highs, and meatpackers are under pressure from fewer and more expensive animals.

Goldman analyst Thiago Bortoluci lays out the implications if NWS spreads across the US beef industry:

In our view, the potential spread of NWS into Texas could be disruptive: the state holds the largest cattle herd in the country (12.1M head, 14% of the U.S. total), ranks among the top regions for feeder cattle (15%) and cattle on feed (22%), and is one of the most relevant sources of cattle shipped across state lines.

Should the Texas case be confirmed, we would expect:

Further pressure on the U.S. cattle herd, extending what has already been a multi-year downcycle, with elevated cattle costs further squeezing packers' profitability. Potentially weaker consumer demand for beef, ahead of the seasonally high grilling season and the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Some short-term demand substitution effect toward chicken.

Read-across to our coverage JBS currently operates one plant in Texas, but we believe the negative externalities could extend into nearby states and potentially also impact MBRF's National Beef operations (especially Liberal and Dodge City), given inter-state cattle trade. We estimate that each -50bp change in U.S. beef profitability would translate into a -3% impact on MBRF's and JBS's consolidated forward EBITDA.

On the flip side, the scenario could potentially be supportive for South American beef exporters given good cattle availability and no evidence of NWS in the continent till now. If this trend were to persist, Minerva would be the clearest beneficiary across our coverage, as exports to the U.S. account for 11% of its total sales.

Base case: heightened NWS biosecurity surveillance across Texas and tighter cattle movement controls, not mass culling

Iran Warns US Strikes Risk Dragging Middle East Back Into Conflict

Iran Warns US Strikes Risk Dragging Middle East Back Into Conflict

Sputnik

The United States is exposing the Middle East to serious risks by violating the ceasefire with Iran, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. 

Earlier in the week, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces carried out strikes on Iranian radar stations in Goruk and on Qeshm Island amid drone attacks. Iran responded by targeting US bases in the region.

"Repeated violations of the ceasefire by the United States confirm that this country is not only unwilling to de-escalate and return to the path of stability, but is also exposing the region to serious threats through its adventurist actions. Responsibility for the consequences of these unlawful actions and any possible escalation of any kind will rest with the US government," the ministry said in a statement.

Iran would defend its sovereignty and national interests using all available capabilities, the ministry added. It also called on countries in the region to refrain from providing the US with territory or facilities for carrying out aggression against Iran.

The ministry further urged the United Nations and other international organizations to respond swiftly and effectively to US actions and to take measures to prevent further destabilization of the region.