If you want a glimpse into Australia’s future under mandatory age verification and digital ID schemes, take a look at the United Kingdom. They’re already living it, and it’s worse than anyone could have imagined. The British government doesn’t need to hack your accounts or break into your devices. They’ve built a legal framework where your identity is permanently attached to everything you say online, and saying the wrong thing lands you in a jail cell faster than committing actual violence.
British police now make over 30 arrests a day for "offensive" online communications, an increase of over 120% from 2017. Over 12,000 people have been arrested for social media posts, messages, or private online conversations in 2023 alone. These are real people getting arrested under laws prohibiting messages which cause annoyance, inconvenience, or needless anxiety. The Communications Act 2003 and the Malicious Communications Act 1988 use language so vague police can justify arresting anyone for almost anything. And they do.
The UK's Two-Tier Justice System
Lucy Connolly, a childminder, posted an angry tweet about migrants during the Southport stabbings in July 2024. She deleted it and apologised. She still received 31 months in prison for allegedly intending to incite serious violence. Meanwhile, Deliveroo driver Muhammad Faizan Khan sexually assaulted a pregnant woman so violently she miscarried. He received 12 months. Multiple members of grooming gangs have had lighter sentences. Huw Edwards admitted possessing child abuse images and walked free with a suspended sentence. Rees Newman, a convicted child rapist, avoided jail due to overcrowding.
The UK built its surveillance machine slowly over decades. Every new law came with the same excuses. Safety, terrorism, protection, think of the children. The goal stayed the same. More monitoring, more data collection, more control. After the Southport tragedy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer pushed the slogan Think before you post. Your speech is being watched. Your identity is known. Step out of line and we will come for you.
People are now arrested for memes, opinions, or even silently praying. A 74 year old woman was arrested for holding a sign. Comedian Graham Linehan was arrested at Heathrow for posts on X. Pro Palestine activists calling to decapitate TERFS faced no consequences. Criticise migration? Arrested. Share a meme they call hateful? Prosecuted. This is two tier justice. If your speech aligns with government approved narratives, you're safe. If not, you're a target.
How Digital ID Enables Speech Arrests
None of this works without digital identity. Every arrest for online speech depends on knowing who posted what. Anonymous accounts take time to trace. Verified accounts tied to government identity systems? Instant. Age verification laws and online safety regulations created digital ID by default. Your real name is now tied to your online presence through your ISP, bank, or mobile carrier. Once that link exists, everything you say is prosecutable.
Australia is walking the same path. The myID system exists. The Digital ID Act 2024 is law. The Age Assurance Technology trial tested facial recognition and document scanning. Platforms will integrate with verification systems. You will upload your passport, scan your face, or submit your licence. You will be told it’s temporary, anonymous, and your data will be deleted.
It won’t stop at child safety. It will expand to misinformation, hate speech, harmful content. Definitions will shift until people are too afraid to speak. Not because speech is banned, but because they know they’re being watched. Governments change, but surveillance stays. Digital ID is the foundation. Without mandatory identity verification, anonymous speech lives. With it, every word you type can be traced to your name, address, passport. The state doesn’t need to censor you. It just needs you to know it can punish you. You will censor yourself.
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FAQ
Why is the UK arresting people for social media posts
Because digital ID makes every post traceable and vague laws criminalise normal speech.
Why does this matter for Australia
Australia is building the same digital ID structure that allows speech policing.
What happens when digital ID is mandatory
Your identity gets tied to every word you type and fear does the censorship for them.