GUEST BLOG: Talk Liberation – The End of the Anonymous Internet: Global Digital Control is Reshaping Rights

In this edition:

• Elon’s Grok AI Cleared for Official Use Across US Government
• Digital ID Rolled Out Across Entire UK
• Major PR Firm to Run Pro-Israel Bot Army on Major Socials
• Brazil Kills Online Anonymity with New Digital ID Law
• Cancer Patient Bullied by UK Police Over Facebook Post
• Peter Thiel: Stopping AI Will Bring Anti-Christ
• Users Silenced During Covid Could Return to Youtube
• Censorship Fears as TikTok To Be Sold to Tech Giant Oracle

Elon’s Grok AI Cleared for Official Use Across US Government

Elon Musk’s xAI has secured a deal with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), making its Grok chatbot available to federal agencies for a nominal fee — this despite the very public feud between Musk and Donald Trump. Under the 18-month deal, federal agencies would be allowed to purchase access to Musk’s Grok AI models for $0.42 per organization. This will directly pit xAI against rivals OpenAI and Anthropic, which are offering their government versions for $1 per year. The deal is the longest of its kind to date and grants the government access to xAI’s advanced reasoning models, Grok 4 and Grok 4 Fa.

The key component of xAI’s “Grok for Government” strategy aligns with Trump’s AI Action Plan, which aims to cement U.S. leadership in the field by integrating cutting-edge AI tools into federal operations. To facilitate this, xAI is not only providing its models but also dedicating engineers to help agencies implement the technology quickly and offering a path to upgrade for more advanced features. This deal occurs against a backdrop of Musk’s deepening ties to the federal government.

Following Trump’s inauguration, Musk led a cost-cutting initiative called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), placing several aides within key agencies like the GSA. Musk was not directly involved in negotiating this specific xAI agreement, but his influence within government channels raises questions about the interplay between business interests and public policy, as xAI now joins a growing list of AI vendors approved for government use, following similar deals with other leading firms.

Digital ID Rolled Out Across Entire UK

The United Kingdom has fully implemented a national Digital ID system, framed as a measure designed to streamline and secure access to public and private services, and help combat illegal working. The Digital ID pushed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and heavily supported by the Tony Blair Institute would exist via smartphone similar to the NHS app, and is aimed to simplify processes like applying for driving licenses, accessing tax records and claiming benefits, by eliminating the need for paper documents. But the rollout, which will eventually be mandatory, has sparked intense debate over privacy and civil liberties.

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative opposition, stated that her party will oppose any mandatory ID cards for “law-abiding citizens,” refusing to support a system that is compulsory or could exclude people from the rights of citizenship. This sentiment is echoed across the political spectrum, with the UK liberal end rejecting a system that forces people to “turn over their private data just to go about their daily lives,” and the right Reform UK party claiming the only benefit is increased government control over citizens’ activities, spending and movements. A petition against the digital ID already has more than 2.6 million signatures.

Major PR Firm Linked to Pro-Israel Bot Army on Major Socials

According to internal documents, a prominent liberal public relations and political consulting firm, SKDKnickerbocker LLC, was contracted to operate a large-scale, pro-Israel influence campaign on social media. The strategy involves deploying what is described as a “bot army” or a coordinated network of accounts across platforms like Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook. The goal was to shape public opinion by promoting content portraying Israel in a positive light, defending its military actions and attacking its critics, including pro-Palestinian activists and media figures deemed hostile.

Tactics would create the illusion of organic, widespread support, including using “sock puppet” accounts — fake identities posing as real people — to post pre-written content, memes, and videos. SKDK would coach Israeli spokespeople for on-camera appearances and work with journalists on mainstream outlets including BBC, CNN, Fox, and the Associated Press to secure favorable coverage. Connections with politicians would give the effort a veneer of bipartisan support, more effective with left-leaning audiences.

Revelations about the tech-savvy operation have raised significant ethical and legal concerns, blurring the lines between public relations and covert propaganda via tech giants. After much criticism SKDK now claims to have ended its contract with Israel but its parent company, Stagwell, has other divisions that appear to maintain this relationship. Further, the 10/7 Project, a PR initiative backed by AIPAC and the ADL, and run by SKDK, continues with aims to sustain U.S. bipartisan support for Israel by promoting its narrative of the war via Big Tech.

Brazil Kills Online Anonymity with New Digital ID Law

Brazil is the latest to enact a sweeping new law, the “Adultization Bill” or “Digital ECA”, mandating strict age verification for all users of social media, online games, and other digital services. Signed by President Lula da Silva and taking effect in 180 days, the law’s framed as a necessary measure to “protect children” from online harms such as sexual exploitation, predatory advertising, and gambling. However, some warn that the requirement for platforms to implement robust age checks that extend beyond simple self-declaration, effectively paves the way for a mandatory digital ID system and threatens to erode online anonymity.

The law imposes strict requirements on digital platforms, with activation of the strictest parental controls by default for minors, featuring time limits, content filters, and geolocation blocking. For users under 16, accounts must be linked to a verified adult guardian who can monitor activity. The penalties for non-compliance are severe, with fines reaching up to 10% of a company’s Brazilian revenue, capped at $10 million per violation, ensuring compliance from tech companies.

While the government champions the law as a step toward “national digital sovereignty” and child safety, it marks a significant shift toward a less private internet for all users. Brazil’s actions are part of a growing global trend seen in the UK, EU, and US, where age verification laws are being used as a pathway to implement mass identification and monitoring. The push represents a move to build infrastructure, permanently tying online activity to a user’s real-world identity, fundamentally transforming user digital experience under the guise of protection.

Cancer Patient Bullied By UK Police Over Facebook Post

An American woman, Deborah Anderson, who is battling cancer, was subjected to an investigation by UK police over a comment she made on a friend’s Facebook post. The incident occurred when the woman, who’s been residing in the U.K. for years, engaged in a debate about an undisclosed sensitive social issue. A person in the UK saw her comment and reported it to local police as a “non-crime hate incident.”

The UK police force tracked down the woman and knocked on her door to inform her she was under investigation for malicious communication. Anderson was in significant distress, as she was shocked to see international law enforcement in her home, over a social media post. Afterwards she reached out to the Free Speech Union who told her to get more details from the officer, but when she finally heard back her file had been tucked away and was inaccessible.

The incident highlights the severity of censorship, the UK’s speech laws and their enforcement of them via the concept of “non-crime hate incidents.” Critics, much like Anderson, argue such policies lead to a waste of police resources from actual crimes and have a chilling effect on free expression, allowing individuals to be harassed by the state for speech.

Peter Thiel: Stopping AI Will Bring Antichrist

Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel has made a stark warning against the regulation of artificial intelligence, claiming that such efforts would hasten the emergence of the “Antichrist.” Speaking at a lecture hosted by the Christian nonprofit ACTS 17, Thiel, a self-proclaimed devout Christian, framed technological stagnation as a greater spiritual threat than progress. He argues that opposing AI is a dangerous error that would prevent humanity from reaching its “God-given potential” and inadvertently pave the way for a totalitarian one-world government, which he believes will be the vehicle for the apocalyptic figure.

Thiel says the figure wouldn’t be presented as an obvious tyrant, but as a “great humanitarian” who uses the promise of safety and equality to usher in a global dystopia, referencing the Book of Revelations. He warns that risks of autonomous killer robots and engineered bioweapons could trigger a modern-day Armageddon, but argues that the only way to avert this catastrophe is through unregulated technological advancement to outpace these threats. Criticism toward Thiel stems from his long-standing trans-humanist beliefs, which view technology as a means to transcend human limitations.

Ultimately, Thiel reveals a deeply ideological push for unfettered tech development–views shared within the Silicon Valley network with Christian theology. His beliefs on stopping AI as a “sin” with potentially world-ending theological consequences, position him as a leading advocate for a future where tech progress is treated as a spiritual imperative for all.

Users Silenced During Covid Could Return to Youtube

Tech giants Google and YouTube have publicly acknowledged they engaged in widespread censorship of content, following pressure from the Biden administration, during the Covid-19 pandemic. In a letter written by a Google attorney, sent to the House Judiciary Committee, tech execs testified that they actively removed or suppressed videos and posts that contradicted the official guidance from major health organizations like the WHO and CDC. This policy was enacted under their “misinformation” guidelines.

The admitted targets included legitimate scientific debate and early, unproven theories that later gained some credibility. This led to accusations and protests that the companies overstepped, acting as arbiters of truth and stifling open scientific inquiry during a global crisis. The companies defended their actions as necessary to protect public health in a time of extreme uncertainty.

The admissions have fueled ongoing political and legal battles over free speech and the influence of government on powerful Tech giants. Alphabet submitted a letter to counter a GOP investigation into alleged censorship of conservative voices by tech companies at the behest of the Biden administration – a claim that also forms the basis of a separate Republican lawsuit. It stated that users who were permanently banned for political speech, especially regarding Covid-19 or elections, may now be given a chance to return to the platform.

Censorship Fears as TikTok To Be Sold to Tech Giant Oracle

U.S. President Donald Trump is in the final stages of securing a deal that would create an independent U.S. entity for TikTok, potentially named “TikTok U.S,” with its own board of directors and an independent “national security committee.” This committee would have authority to veto decisions and oversee TikTok’s algorithms and data management to ensure they are free from “foreign influence.” But major U.S. tech and investment firms, notably Oracle are negotiating to take significant stakes in this new entity.

Trump’s negotiation is framed as a victory for both national security and the American economy, ensuring that TikTok’s 170 million U.S. users can continue to use the platform safely, protecting the livelihoods of content creators and the economic ecosystem of businesses that depend on it. Preserving TikTok is estimated to generate $178 billion in U.S. economic activity over the next four years. The worry stems from tech giant Oracle’s pivotal role as TikTok’s security provider, responsible for storing all U.S. user data in its secure, purpose-built cloud environment within the United States–especially after TikTok appointed a former IDF instructor to “monitor hate speech” on the platform.

Israel is a U.S. ally but also a prolific intelligence power and Oracle’s Israeli-linked subsidiaries would have access to the massive trove of U.S. TikTok user data that Oracle is tasked with securing. The U.S. government’s goal was to remove TikTok from Chinese influence to protect American data but if Oracle is seen as a conduit for Israeli influence, it undermines the entire premise of “clean” U.S. control the deal was to create. Oracle holds significant research and development centers in Israel, employing thousands of engineers who work on core tech, including cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity, integrated into their cloud and identity management products.