Digital ID and Its Impact on Free Speech and the Future of Our Children
- Gary Moller
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Freedom and privacy are cornerstones of any democratic society. In New Zealand, recent discussions led by the Taxpayers Union and the Free Speech Union have brought urgent attention to two critical issues: the rise of digital ID systems and the increasing control over children's exposure to the digital world. Both developments raise serious questions about the direction our country is heading and the kind of future we want for our children.
The Reality Behind Digital ID
When you show your ID at a pub, the process is simple and private. The bouncer checks your face against the card, confirms your age, and that's it. No record is kept. You walk in, and the interaction disappears. This is how physical ID works: it confirms who you are in the moment without creating a lasting digital footprint.
Digital ID systems work very differently. Once you verify yourself digitally, your data is stored, logged, and cross-referenced. This information does not vanish after the moment of verification. Instead, it becomes a permanent record that can be accessed and used later. The problem is not just about today's use but what happens as the system grows.
History shows that systems designed for one purpose rarely stay limited to that purpose. What starts as age verification can quickly expand to control access, enforce compliance, or even punish individuals for actions deemed unacceptable by those in power. Examples from recent years include:
Suspension of bank accounts without clear reasons
Limited access to online platforms based on behaviour
Limits on travel or participation in public life due to digital records
This is not paranoia. It is a pattern seen in many countries where digital ID systems have been implemented without strong safeguards. A physical ID confirms identity briefly. A digital ID can become a permanent handle on your life, with consequences that last far beyond the initial use.
The Taxpayers Union’s alarm is justified. Every New Zealander who values freedom and privacy should be concerned about the unchecked growth of digital ID systems.
Children and the Digital World: The Push for Control
Alongside the digital ID debate is the growing concern about children's exposure to the Internet and social media. Governments and organisations want to protect children from harmful content, but the methods chosen often involve building restrictive systems that limit everyone's freedom.
Australia's approach is a clear example. It uses broad, blunt tools to control what children can access online. This includes mandatory age verification systems and content filters that affect all users, not just children. While the intention is to protect, the result can be overreach, limiting free speech and access to information for everyone.
Requiring a digital ID for children means a digital ID for everyone
The challenge is balancing protection with freedom. Children need guidance and education to navigate the digital world safely. But building ever-more restrictive systems risks creating a digital environment where privacy is compromised, and free speech is curtailed.
Digital ID and Children's Freedom
These two issues — digital ID and controlling children's digital exposure — are linked. Both involve increasing surveillance and control over individuals' digital lives. Both risk creating a society where privacy is diminished, and freedom is limited.
For children, this is especially concerning. They are growing up in a world where their digital identity may be tracked and controlled from an early age, and then for the rest of their lives. This can affect their ability to express themselves freely and explore ideas without fear of permanent records or restrictions.
Parents and communities must be part of the conversation. Instead of relying solely on restrictive systems, we should focus on:
Teaching digital literacy and critical thinking
Encouraging open dialogue about online risks and freedoms
Developing privacy-respecting tools that empower users rather than control them
Protecting our children doesn't require building a surveillance state.
Raise Freeranger children
When I was a child in the 1960s, playgrounds were not gentle places. Words flew. Teasing happened. Arguments erupted. And we learned resilience the hard way. We used to chant, over and over:
"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me!"
That was psychological armour.
We learned that words only have power if you hand it to them. We learned how to argue, how to push back, how to walk away, and how to tell an adult when something truly crossed the line.
Children do not become resilient by being wrapped in cotton wool. They become resilient by learning how to endure and overcome discomfort, disagreement, and even offence, with guidance from parents who are present, engaged, and available.
What New Zealand Needs Now
New Zealand is at a crossroads — do we follow our trans-Tasman neighbour? The decisions made today about digital ID and children's digital rights will shape the future of freedom and privacy in our country.
We need a proper adult conversation that includes all voices — parents, educators, privacy experts, and civil society. This conversation should focus on:
Clear limits on how digital ID data is collected, stored, and used
Strong protections against misuse and mission creep
Balanced approaches to protecting children online without restricting everyone's rights
Transparent policies that build trust rather than fear
The Taxpayers Union and the Free Speech Union have started this important dialogue. It's time for all New Zealanders to join in and demand a future where freedom and privacy are respected, and children can grow up freer and safer.
So yes, protect children
But do it by raising strong, grounded, resilient freerangers.
Do it by strengthening families, not databases.
Do it by teaching discernment, not fear.
And above all, resist the lie that safety must come at the cost of liberty.
We can have healthy and resilient children. Digital IDs will give us the opposite - fearful, caged children, who grow up to be helpless and compliant adults.
But we must say no to any kind of digital ID now, before the systems are locked in.
