Andrew Bridgen returns to the news. Ex-Tory MP turned independent, he’s warning about digital IDs, CBDCs, and AI. In a clip filmed by Wide Awake Media, Bridgen christened these devices the fundamental components of ‘digital prisons’. His example is emphatic: states promise ease, but the hidden cost is freedom. He ties this threat to his prior fights over COVID-19 vaccines and climate policy. And he goes on, leaders are not to be trusted. Why? Because, according to him, they’ve lied before. For him, this is the new frontier for state rule.
Digital IDs, CBDCs, and Control
Bridgen’s case starts with digital IDs. He argues they may soon connect to CBDCs and AI, building an omnipotent surveillance machine. He cautions that money-tied IDs would enable governments to follow all purchases. Worse, CBDCs could be “programmable.” Which means governments could mandate: no meat buying, no extra gas, no flying. He depicts it as liberty is but a scroll. And all of it, he says, is sold as progress.
Bridgen pushes the point by comparing it to past crises. He says governments always take emergencies as an opportunity to grab more power. COVID restrictions are his principal example. He contends, digital architectures will permit them to enforce order sans cops or fences. Take, for instance, the idea of 15-minute cities. Why fence trips with turnstiles, he wonders, when AI can block payments if you roam too far?
Critics do have some of his concerns. Groups like Big Brother Watch warn that ‘convenience’ usually means more surveillance. They cite India’s Aadhaar platform, which, due to bugs, left poor citizens without benefits. Or Vietnam’s mass account deletions linked to digital ID flops. Bridgen points to these as warnings. In his view, once freedoms go digital, they don’t usually come back.
UK Pilots and Global Lessons
For Bridgen, in 2025, these are no hypothetical concerns. The UK is piloting the GOV.UK Wallet right now. But they say it makes services easier to reach. It’s an opt-in system and one linked to a trust scheme. But Bridgen questions whether ‘voluntary’ will continue. He cites Aadhaar in India. First voluntary, then mandatory for welfare and banking. The result? Millions are excluded when errors hit.
The Bank of England, too, is piloting a digital pound. Officials emphasize that cash is still, expenses will not be tracked, and privacy laws will persist. But will people believe that? Bridgen doubts it. He contends, in our jargon, that foreign precedents illustrate how quickly online utilities get militarized. Millions lose account access over ID issues in Vietnam. He argues it can occur here as well, disguised as policy or “safety.”
And it’s not just money. AI enables easier tracking, better choice prediction, and real-time blocking. Bridgen suggests that a mix of AI, IDs, and CBDCs could do what walls, fences, prisons, and police never could — build invisible cages. To him, this isn’t theory. It’s a warning, one, he says, history has already lectured us on.
Conclusion
Andrew Bridgen’s warning strikes a chord with us. His argument is simple: digital IDs, CBDCs, and AI may appear to be tools of progress but can become tools of oppression. He argues that governments rarely give back liberties once they’ve been taken. And global case studies–from India to Vietnam–make his point harder to argue with. Backers consider him an essential doubter. Critics call it fearmongering. But what if he’s right? As trials in the UK and overseas continue, Bridgen’s ‘digital prison’ metaphor looms. Convenience and freedom, oh my! This war is far from over.
About The Author
