Bill Gates Demands Mandatory Digital ID to Tackle ‘Misinformation’

Billionaire Bill Gates is demanding that digital IDs be made mandatory in order to supposedly tackle so-called “misinformation.”

In a new interview, the Microsoft co-founder also blasted the First Amendment for protecting the free speech rights of the American people.

Gates argues that the First Amendment is standing in the way of censoring “misinformation” online.

He called for digital IDs as a way to skirt the First Amendment and curb “misinformation during an interview with CNET, where he also discussed artificial intelligence (AI) and “climate change.”

While lamenting free speech rights, Gates erroneously cited the example that shouting “fire” in a crowded theater is an exception to First Amendment protections.

However, this misrepresentation has been repeatedly clarified legally to be a myth.

Gates, meanwhile, claims he is grappling with what he believes to be the threats of “misinformation” and the technological phenomena of deepfakes.

While warning of this alleged threat, Gates argues that digital IDs will help curb this “misinformation” by forcing people to verify their identities online.

Gates frequently promotes his digital ID technology as an answer to several alleged problems that he claims are threatening society.

This push is particularly highlighted in an upcoming Netflix series and through dialogue with Stanford experts.

The Microsoft co-founder’s organization, the Gates Foundation, has been pumping vast sums of cash into digital ID projects.

He has been helping India implement its national digital ID system while using parts of Africa as a testing ground for the technology.

Gates’s proposed approach ostensibly aims to curb the spread of “fake” content.

According to Gates, making digital IDs mandatory for online access would ensure that only verified individuals can publish information.

This would mean that online content can be matched to real-life identities, Gates argues.

However, this raises significant concerns about privacy and the potential for excessive surveillance and control over digital spaces.

Yet, Gates has never been too keen to defend privacy or free speech.

Gates told CNET that there must be limitations on free speech or order to crack down on “misinformation.”

He laments that Americans’ First Amendment protections are making it “tough” to censor online content.

“The U.S. is a tough one because we have the notion of the First Amendment and what are the exceptions like yelling ‘fire’ in a theater,” Gates explained.

Gates’s willingness to use the flawed “fire in a theater” analogy suggests a readiness to dilute foundational free speech principles to implement digital solutions.

“I do think over time, with things like deepfakes, most of the time you’re online you’re going to want to be in an environment where the people are truly identified, that is they’re connected to a real-world identity that you trust, instead of just people saying whatever they want,” Gates added.

WATCH:

Combating alleged “misinformation” has become a prominent interest for Gates in recent years.

His censorship push has included criticizing private messaging for allowing such content to spread.

This is a topic that has been brought to the forefront in recent weeks following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.

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