>You can also fake passports and many other things. Do you also want to add online ID verification to purchase alcohol in a convenience store because someone can trick the salesman with fake ID?

And yet we still use passports. And yes, it would be super convenient to not have to have a physical ID on me to verify my identity. Nothing is changing legal rights or government surveillance capability wise, except that people gain convenience.

>You're not analyzing any tradeoffs and going directly to the total surveillance total government power. I was spot on in my assessment from the first comment.

As if the government cannot secretly subpoena and force Apple and Google to reveal anything they want.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Foreign_Intellig...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes

At least if the government operates an identity verification API, it can be subject to the constitution. Businesses are not subject to the laws that restrict the government, and governments love that loophole. If all the banks or tech companies ban you, tough shit, that is their business right. If a government service bans you, then you can fight it in court.

>Internet freedom is severely curtailed with different excuses around "protecting against foreign actors, drugs, porn, protecting the children, etc". The police can show up at your house and arrest you in a European country for posting political opinions on Twitter. ISPs will block websites and the government will force sites to require authentication to read about Israel criticism in relation to gaza.

This has nothing to do with government providing an identity verification API. This is a separate issue about not having sufficient civil rights.

>Everything the government does in a country is good by definition,

Not at all, and that is why the government should be the one doing it, so that it can be litigated in court, transparently. Currently, governments are loving the use of businesses to do bad things, and throwing their hands up because it isn't the government doing it, it's the business doing it.