<h2>Whole Foods — now in name only</h2>Whole Foods has a reputation for wholesome natural foods. However, for the last decade, at least, Natural Health 365 <a href="https://www.naturalhealth365.com/whole-foods-gmo-hypocrisy-selling-out-to-fake-food-with-impossible-foods-deal.html?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">related</a>, the company has not been adhering to its whole foods standards in many instances:<ul><li>In 2022, Farm Forward discovered that the meat Whole Foods was selling was not antibiotic-free as claimed.&nbsp;</li><li>In 2015, The Cornucopia Institute called out Whole Foods for rating produce as “Responsibly Grown” yet it didn't meet the standards.</li><li>In 2014, a class action suit was brought against Whole Foods for allegedly deceptive labeling foods as “all natural” even though ingredients included “chemical preservatives, artificial coloring, artificial flavorings, and other artificial ingredients.”</li><li>“Local products” at Whole Foods may only mean the manufacturer has their headquarters nearby; the main ingredients may be sourced from countries across the globe.&nbsp;</li><li>A 2016 documentary (which is no longer available) accused Whole Foods of “being in bed” with Monsanto. Allegations have been “swirling” for years and “there have been instances where Whole Foods has quietly given up a little ground to Monsanto, including an acquiescence to the USDA approving a ‘conditional deregulation’ of herbicide-resistant, GMO alfalfa produced by Monsanto."</li></ul>&nbsp;<h3>Questioning commitment to founding principles</h3>The most recent offense, Natural Health 365 pointed to, is Whole Foods' partnership with fake food manufacturer Impossible Foods, calling into question the company's continued commitment to its raison d'etre and its customers.<blockquote>This latest deal raises serious questions about Whole Foods’ commitment to its founding principles and its customers’ trust in its brand.&nbsp;. . .Fake food giant Impossible Foods recently announced a “highly anticipated” deal with Whole Foods that will begin with the launch of the company’s fake chicken products on Whole Foods’ shelves.Just like standing in a garage doesn’t make you a car, simply having your processed food on the shelves of Whole Foods doesn’t make it a whole food. &nbsp;Despite the marketing efforts, these highly processed items still fall short of the standards that consumers expect from Whole Foods [emphasis added].</blockquote><h3>Impossible Foods not Whole Foods' first foray into fake meat&nbsp;</h3>Whole Foods's partnership with Impossible Foods is not the company's first foray into the faux meat market. In 2013, the company began <a href="https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2016/06/30/Plant-based-Beyond-Burger-to-roll-out-across-Whole-Foods" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">carrying</a> Beyond Meat's vegan “chicken” strips. Initial investors in the fake chicken were Bill Gates and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.A year later Beyond Meat began selling make-believe meat which morphed into the Beyond Burger in 2016, also carried by Whole Foods. &nbsp;<h3>"Can't tell its ingredients from CHEAP dog food"</h3>X user Dr. Roth tweeted that he didn't think Beyond Burgers would tempt carnivores, the target market for fake meat products. He argued that,<blockquote>you can't tell the ingredients from CHEAP dog food</blockquote>&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Targeting carnivores rather than vegans and vegetarians, Beyond’s burger made its debut in the meat case at Whole Foods Market in 2016." Why would anyone think carnivores would want to eat this stuff, when you can't tell its ingredients from CHEAP dog food? <a href="https://t.co/Qypc0Xolwb">pic.twitter.com/Qypc0Xolwb</a>— dr roth (@mrc314) <a href="https://twitter.com/mrc314/status/1594772053839777812?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h3>Betraying its roots with GMOs</h3>GMWatch tweeted its dismay at Whole Foods' partnership with Impossible Foods, stating that the company is betraying its non-GMO roots since Impossible Foods products contain GMOs.<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Whole Foods Betrays Its Non-GMO Roots: The Impossible Foods Controversy. Long celebrated as a paragon of organic and non-<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GMO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GMO</a> foods, Whole Foods has partnered with Impossible, a company that brazenly embraces <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GMOs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GMOs</a> in its fake-meat products. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/glyphosate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#glyphosate</a> <a href="https://t.co/vwpEMihuwx">https://t.co/vwpEMihuwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/MjXPrCBV7r">pic.twitter.com/MjXPrCBV7r</a>— GMWatch (@GMWatch) <a href="https://twitter.com/GMWatch/status/1787513946418671827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div><h3>Bioengineered foods, too?</h3>Not only does Whole Foods sell faux meat and GMO foods, but it also sells bioengineered food products, as X user USMC Lady Vet exposes in her tweet below. Containers of mashed potatoes, prepared green beans, bagels, brownies, and cookies, she reveals, all have the words “Contains a bio-engineered food ingredient” on the label.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Admittedly, I don't shop at Whole Foods because it's a long distance, but I thought it was a store where you could buy healthy food. apparently it's just another bio engineered joke owned by Amazon <a href="https://t.co/0IIVea7mfy">pic.twitter.com/0IIVea7mfy</a>— USMC Lady Vet (@Arkypatriot) <a href="https://twitter.com/Arkypatriot/status/1790131717618958558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div><h3>Former CEO wasn't “sold on the health benefits of plant-based meats”</h3>Whole Foods former CEO John Mackey <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/21/whole-foods-ceo-john-mackey-plant-based-meat-not-good-for-your-health.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> CNBC Make It, in a 2019 interview, that Whole Foods helped Beyond Meat launch all its products, another way the company betrayed its roots.<blockquote>“We launched Beyond Meat. We were their launching pad. In fact, I think all of their new products have been introduced at Whole Foods,” John Mackey, co-founder&nbsp;and CEO of Whole Foods, tells CNBC Make It.</blockquote>Yet, Mackey didn't seem to think there was a problem there, all the more surprising since he wouldn't endorse the plant-based foods he sold.&nbsp;<blockquote>But Mackey, who has been a vegan for more than 20 years, isn’t sold on the health benefits of plant-based meats.“The [brands] who are capturing the imagination of people — and I’m not going to name these brands because I’m afraid I will be associated with the critique of it,” says Mackey, “but some of these that are extremely popular now that are taking the world by storm, if you look at the ingredients, they are super, highly processed foods.”. . ..“I don’t think eating highly processed foods is healthy. I think people thrive on eating whole foods,” Mackey says. “As for health, I will not endorse that, and that is about as big of criticism that I will do in public.”</blockquote><h2>Give up your privacy, too?</h2>Consumers who still choose to support Whole Foods can also pay with their palms, a dubious benefit of the store chain being owned by Amazon <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/john-mackey-who-sold-whole-foods-to-amazon-for-13-7-billion-considers-the-road-not-taken/ar-BB1mLvFX" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">since</a> Mackey sold it to the mega-giant in 2017, as X user Fraz tweeted about the technology: &nbsp;<blockquote>#Technology has gotten to a point where it's facilitating masses while simultaneously making people to give up their privacy voluntarily.</blockquote><div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Amazon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Amazon</a> is now offering Amazon One which is the contactless palm recognition service to make payments at its Whole Foods stores. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Technology?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Technology</a> has gotten to a point where it's facilitating masses while simultaneously making people to give up their privacy voluntarily. <a href="https://t.co/s5GhzAaoND">pic.twitter.com/s5GhzAaoND</a>— Fraz (@NthngMtrs) <a href="https://twitter.com/NthngMtrs/status/1787569270291050870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><h2>Consumers have choices</h2>Natural Health 365 suggests that those who want truly healthy food shop at local farms or grow their own food. Shopping in one store that has it all may be convenient — but at what cost?<blockquote>There is simply too much evidence stacked against them. &nbsp;Too many issues have been brought to light that are backed by solid evidence.So shop at your own risk.The alternative? &nbsp;Grow your own food or buy your food from truly local farms.Yes, it is much more convenient to run to a grocery store and pick up what you need. &nbsp;Everything is in one place, and you can have the butcher cut your roast into stew meat if you would like. &nbsp;But should we sacrifice our health, the quality of the food we purchase, and TRUTH for convenience?</blockquote>Related articles:<ul><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/lab-grown-meat-not-slaughter-free-not-climate-friendly-as-claimed-can-it-cause-cancer-too">Lab-grown meat not slaughter-free, not climate-friendly as claimed. Can it cause cancer too?</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/equating-lab-grown-meat-with-animal-meat-is-kooky-thinking-alliance-for-natural-health">Equating lab-grown meat with animal meat is 'kooky thinking' - Alliance for Natural Health</a></li><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/ultra-processed-foods-should-come-with-a-black-box-warning-dr-eric-berg">'Ultra-processed foods should come with a black box warning' - Dr. Eric Berg</a></li><li>&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/italy-becomes-first-country-to-ban-fake-food">Italy becomes first country to ban fake food</a></li><li>&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/biden-administration-approves-fake-meat-for-sale-to-consumers">Biden administration approves fake meat for sale to consumers</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/fake-meat-production-up-to-25-times-worse-for-climate-says-study">Fake meat production up to 25 times worse for climate, says study</a></li><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/what-is-synthetic-biology-and-why-should-you-care">What is synthetic biology and why should you care?</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/fake-meat-industry-continues-to-plunge">Fake meat industry continues to plunge</a></li></ul>

Whole foods bags.jpg

Nutrition

Technology

 Plant-based meats, GMOs, and bioengineered ingredients sold in Whole Foods

'Simply having your processed food on the shelves of Whole Foods doesn’t make it a whole food'

A British vigilante group known as the “Blade Runners” is receiving widespread support from British taxpayers as it continues to destroy climate surveillance cameras across London.<h2>The ULEZ mandate</h2>By order of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the city is peppered with ultra-low emission zones (ULEZs), areas accessible only to low-emission vehicles. Cars that do not meet the city’s environmental standards are charged £12.50 ($16) for entering the ULEZ. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras positioned around the zones read license plates and check them against the vehicles’ make and model in real time. If a vehicle does not meet the environmental threshold, a fine is levied against the car owner.&nbsp;The ULEZ climate mandate has drawn heavy&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/london-hundreds-protest-against-climate-mandates">protests</a> from residents, including&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/british-veteran-launches-hunger-strike-as-unrest-grows-over-climate-mandates">hunger strikes</a> and refusals to pay fines. Taxpayers have also taken to disabling the ANPR surveillance cameras which Transport for London (TfL), the city’s transportation department, said will be used both for climate and law enforcement.<h2>Taxpayers cheer the ‘Blade Runners’</h2>Since the climate restrictions were expanded last year, the Blade Runners have taken to disabling and destroying hundreds of cameras. Between April and September 2023, Metropolitan Police recorded 200 reports of cameras being stolen and 595 reports of cameras being vandalized.TfL began placing black boxes around ULEZ camera wirings to protect them from being cut, but taxpayers found other ways to disable the cameras — like removing them completely.<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"> MUST SEE: Blade Runners topple THREE ULEZ cameras in a coordinated strike… The people are fighting back! <a href="https://t.co/Yvr2Xr7Lun">pic.twitter.com/Yvr2Xr7Lun</a>— David Morgan #StayFree (@david_r_morgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/david_r_morgan/status/1802726912050995623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In response, the city&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/london-taxpayers-attack-surveillance-vans-in-continued-revolt">deployed</a> mobile surveillance vans mounted with ANPR cameras across London in the hopes of evading attacks, but Blade Runners soon began targeting those as well. Some surveillance vans have been spotted covered in graffiti with their tires slashed, while others have been completely covered in tarp.Last month, 21 cameras were destroyed in the hours after Sadiq Khan was re-elected mayor of London, the&nbsp;Daily Mail&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13538797/Moment-Blade-Runner-uses-power-tool-cut-ULEZ-camera-traffic-light-latest-attack-Sadiq-Khans-hated-scheme.html">reported</a>. Last weekend, Blade Runners used power tools to topple a ULEZ camera and traffic lights to the delight of some fellow taxpayers. In a video that was posted to social media, passing cars can be heard honking in support.The video received over 37,000 likes. Comments on the post were largely supportive, with users writing that, “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty,” and “Fair play to them, it's a complete scam that does nothing.”Blade Runner Matt Hardy told the&nbsp;Daily Mail&nbsp;that the Blade Runners are “people pissed off about the tyranny reigning over us and getting out and doing things about it – real votes, real boys here.”<h2>‘These cameras are not about the climate. They are about control’</h2>British actor and influencer Laurence Fox said this week he was just given back his electronic devices by police after being arrested earlier this year for cheering on the Blade Runners:<blockquote>These cameras are not about the climate. They are about control. They are the primary infrastructure for all sorts of things that ideologues like the midget dictator [Sadiq Khan] would like to impose upon us.I can now finally say the word ‘Bladerunners’ again. One of the ridiculous restrictions on free speech imposed by the police.It’s a dreadful shame to see so many of these cameras dying suddenly. I’m not at all thrilled about it. Just because I am smiling like a Cheshire Cat, it doesn’t mean that I am over the moon that these scameras continue to topple in high winds.&nbsp;Vive la résistance!</blockquote><div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">POLICE UPDATE Following 6 coppers bursting into my house earlier this year to arrest me for saying how pleased I was that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULEZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ULEZ</a> scam was meeting such robust resistance, this morning the <a href="https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@metpoliceuk</a> were ordered by the magistrate to hand back all my devices, including my…— Laurence Fox (@LozzaFox) <a href="https://twitter.com/LozzaFox/status/1803030521095622912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> &nbsp;

ulez sign camera.jpg

Pushback_Resistance

Climate Change

‘Pissed off about the tyranny reigning over us’

British taxpayers cheer vigilante group destroying climate cams

Fisker is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the electric vehicle (EV) company announced Tuesday.<h2>‘Like other companies in the electric vehicle industry’</h2>“Fisker has made incredible progress since our founding, bringing the Ocean SUV to market twice as fast as expected in the auto industry and making good on our promises to deliver the most sustainable vehicle in the world,” a spokesperson <a href="https://assets.ctfassets.net/cghen8gr8e1n/6W19OiEBJDVIFVEmo4feHA/df902c5cb2b067251a300efb0b35f611/Fisker-Filing-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a>.The California-based company added it is not the only EV maker that has been struggling to stay in business.“We are proud of our achievements, and we have put thousands of Fisker Ocean SUVs in customers’ hands in both North American [sic] and Europe. But like other companies in the electric vehicle industry, we have faced various market and macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted our ability to operate efficiently. After evaluating all options for our business, we determined that proceeding with a sale of our assets under Chapter 11 is the most viable path forward for the company.”Fisker’s collapse is the latest indication that the EV industry is folding due to sinking demand. Other EV industry players are also cutting their losses as they jump ship.<h2>Hertz</h2>In March, Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr&nbsp;<a href="https://www.motorfinanceonline.com/news/hertz-ceo-resigns-amid-ev-investment-setback/#:~:text=Scherr's%20departure%20coincides%20with%20Hertz's,electric%20vehicle%20(EV)%20rentals">resigned</a> after his bet on EVs cost the car rental giant its biggest quarterly loss since 2020. Hertz had been praised by the Biden administration for its ambition to convert 25% of its fleet to EVs by the end of this year. In January, however, the company announced it would instead be selling its 20,000 EVs — including Teslas — at heavily discounted prices and replacing them with gas-powered cars.<h2>Mercedes-Benz</h2>Mercedes-Benz also recently had to give up its ambition to only sell electric cars by 2030. Instead, EVs are expected to make up only 50% of the German carmaker’s sales over the next decade.<h2>Apple</h2>In February, Apple abandoned its multi-billion dollar effort to create an electric car. Despite being a decade in the works and employing 2,000 people, Project Titan was axed due to falling consumer demand.<h2>Aston Martin</h2>A lack of consumer demand is also partly to blame for Aston Martin&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13138123/Aston-Martin-puts-brakes-new-electric-supercar-2026-bosses-say-drivers-want-engines-throaty-roar.html">placing</a> its battery-operated “supercar” on hold until 2026.“Demand, certainly at an Aston Martin price point, is not what we thought it was going to be two years ago,” said Aston Martin Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll.&nbsp;<h2>Ford</h2>In December, Ford slashed production of its flagship EV at its assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan by half. The automaker cut the monthly production quote for the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck from 3,200 units to 1,600 units per month.<h2>Biden administration continues to force EV production</h2>Nevertheless, the Biden administration in March issued new climate mandates aimed at forcing more EV production. The new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contain tight emissions standards that will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-electric-vehicles-emissions-limits-climate-biden-e6d581324af51294048df24269b5d20a">require</a> 56% of new vehicle sales to be fully electric by 2032, with an additional 13% required to be hybrids.

car market decline.jpg

US News

Biden administration continues to force EV production

Electric car company files bankruptcy as EV market folds

For the last two years, British authorities have been testing AI-powered emotion recognition cameras on travelers in train stations, according to recently disclosed documents.<h2>What can the cameras see?</h2>In each of eight train stations around the UK, five to seven cameras or sensors scan the passing crowds. Using AI software from Amazon, the cameras use object recognition algorithms to spot criminal activity, trespassing, weapons, wet floors, overcrowding, and overstuffed trash cans.&nbsp;They can also alert authorities when passengers engage in “unusual behavior,” such as shouting, running, smoking, or skateboarding.&nbsp;A combination of existing cameras and newly installed smart cameras are being used for the surveillance project. All are equipped with Amazon’s Rekognition surveillance system.<h2>Emotional recognition</h2>Through a combination of facial and behavioral analyses, the Rekognition software allows officials to also <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-ai-cameras-emotions-uk-train-passengers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">analyze visitors’ emotions</a>. Internal documents note that the cameras can detect whether a passenger is “happy, sad [or] angry.” They can also recognize passenger satisfaction, which “could be utilized to maximum advertising and retail revenue.”<h2>Anti-social behavior</h2>Authorities can also detect passengers who exhibit “anti-social behaviour,” which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/what-is-antisocial-behaviour/">according</a> to London’s Metropolitan Police Service means “behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person.”<h2>Social distancing, face masks, and demographics</h2>Other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24757655-usecases_dpas_review_managed_stations?responsive=1&amp;title=1">use cases</a> for the surveillance cameras include detecting whether passengers are keeping to social distancing rules and wearing face masks. The cameras can also scan for demographics by identifying people’s age profiles and “socio-economic classification,” which the documents note can create “revenue opportunities for better targeted advertising and product placement.”<h2>‘Quite a concerning step’</h2>The documents were obtained by Big Brother Watch, a civil rights and government watchdog group, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Network Rail, a body within the Department of Transportation which manages most of the country’s train network, has been overseeing the surveillance project.&nbsp;“The rollout and normalization of AI surveillance in these public spaces, without much consultation and conversation, is quite a concerning step,” Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-ai-cameras-emotions-uk-train-passengers/">told</a> Wired.As of now, the surveillance systems do not use facial recognition technology, which analyzes faces and matches them against facial images stored in certain databases.

crowd surveillance.jpg

surveillance

World News

Cameras can also detect 'anti-social behavior,' social distancing

UK tests emotion recognition cameras in train stations

The European Union (EU) is considering subjecting foreign travelers to lie detector tests administered by AI technology.&nbsp;<h2>How would it work?</h2>Authorities at airports and ferry ports would use cameras equipped with machine-learning software to detect whether a person is being untruthful. As travelers fill out their entry applications, their eye, facial, and behavioral movements would be analyzed. If the camera indicates the traveler is lying, the software will send an alert to an immigration officer who will investigate.The technology has already been successfully tested in trials conducted by EU countries in the last few years. iBorderCtrl and TRESPASS, two such trials, explored how to create an automated border control system. Several features were tested, including the lie detector tests described above. They also piloted a feature in which AI software scans the social media accounts of travelers before granting them entry.Critics of the lie-detection scheme include Patrick Breyer, a German MEP. Breyer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13534215/Outrage-British-tourists-going-away-EU-countries-face-lie-detector-test-carried-artificial-intelligence-granted-entry.html">told</a> The Mail on Sunday that the technology is “pseudoscience” that threatens to profile the wrong people.&nbsp;“It will discriminate against anyone who is disabled or who has an anxious personality. It will not work,” said Breyer.<h2>Part of the Entry-Exit System</h2>If the EU decides to implement AI-powered lie detection, it will likely be introduced as part of the new Entry-Exit System (EES) due to take effect on October 6th. EES will replace the passport-stamping process by having foreign travelers apply for entry through self-service kiosks. These kiosks will collect the travelers’ biometric data, including their fingerprints and facial images.These data will eventually be stored in the Common Identity Repository (CIR), a massive database being built by the EU. The CIR will be capable of storing biometric files on 300 million individuals.&nbsp;<h2>EES for outsiders, digital ID for insiders</h2>While the EU prepares to roll out the EES for foreigners, including British citizens, it is also rolling out a digital ID program for EU citizens .Regulations that took effect last month&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/europe-launches-digital-id-scheme/">require</a> EU&nbsp;Member States in the European Union to provide a digital ID wallet to their citizens by 2026 which must conform to the European Union Digital Identity (EUDI) wallet specifications. These specifications include the ability to store a taxpayer’s identity papers, such as driver’s licenses, health insurance cards, diplomas and other official documents.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>How will the wallet be used?</h2>The digital wallet will allow access to both public and private services. Uses include making payments, opening a bank account, getting prescriptions, signing contracts, traveling, accessing government services, receiving social security benefits, logging into social media accounts, and more.&nbsp;“It can also be used to facilitate the freedom of movement by storing documents such as the European Health Insurance Card,” explains the European Commission (EC) on its&nbsp;<a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eudi-wallet-implementation">website</a>.Under the current rules, the EUDI wallet will be optional for taxpayers.&nbsp;<h2>Critics raise concerns about the wallet</h2>The EUDI wallet’s main selling point is that users will be able to share only the details necessary to authenticate themselves for a given service. All other personal information will remain hidden. The EC expects this feature to satisfy widespread privacy concerns.But concerns about the wallet remain. The main worry is that while users only share those details that are necessary, the government can decide at any point which information is “necessary” to share. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the European Commission made proof of vaccination necessary to access services and establishments. Prior to that, each taxpayer’s health information was considered confidential.

face scanning.jpg

Technology could be introduced with new biometric entry system

Europe may subject travelers to lie detector tests

'Simply having your processed food on the shelves of Whole Foods doesn’t make it a whole food'

Plant-based meats, GMOs, and bioengineered ingredients sold in Whole Foods

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British taxpayers cheer vigilante group destroying climate cams

Electric car company files bankruptcy as EV market folds

UK tests emotion recognition cameras in train stations

Europe may subject travelers to lie detector tests