The ID2020 Pilot: Refugees

If you want to understand how ID2020 is being introduced to the world, then you have to see it as a product launch. All enterprises have to think about how, where, to whom and why they are going to market their merchandise before any real sales figures can become reality. For a lucky few, this process happens in a fluid fashion when they happen to produce something desirable or necessary to people's lives. But no one wants ID2020. It is neither desirable nor necessary. So it takes a lot of thought and expertise on the part of the owners of the scheme to sell it to an unsuspecting and hapless public. Although deception is their primary tool, there are practical steps they have to go through, just like any other business with a product or service to sell.

The Pilot
80% of all product launches fail. Only 20% go on to become a success. These 20% have all applied a number of principles for success. Once implemented, these principles virtually guarantee a most profitable start to a product launch. I know, because I have used them before. I don't want to list them here - I don't want to give the owners of ID2020 any help, so I will limit myself to what I have observed: ID2020 is being tested in a series of pilots.

Purpose of a Pilot
A pilot or a try-out has a number of purposes. It will show up any shortcomings of the design, it can be a test of the supply lines, feedback is collected and analysed and if necessary, the product itself can be modified. Information about the target group is verified and potential turnover and repeat custom calculated for future production and deliveries. Pilots are so very useful.

Think Small
When setting up a pilot, always think small. A pilot has to be limited: limit the geographical area, limit the target group and limit the time. You might want to test a new deodorant only at small village supermarkets in a rural county. Hot and spicy peanuts can be tried at university canteens, or a new type of travel insurance only for pensioners in an affluent area.

The Failed Refugee Pilot: RFID Bracelets
The United nations is using various groups of people to try out their biometric ID. One example is refugees: in one instance, a group of refugees was given RFID tagged bracelets. These gave them access to food, shelter and medical services. The pilot failed when the refugees cut the bracelets off their wrists when they realised they had lost freedom of movement. It would explain the reason for the following comment:

bbc.co.uk

Second attempt: iris scans
Which bring me to today's article:

Coindesk.com

IrisGuard's technology was utilized by the UN to verify the identity of refugees in Jordan who, as part of the test, were awarded financial aid through an ethereum-based payment platform. Late last month, IrisGuard announced that its EyePay platform, aimed at facilitating trusted payments, had been upgraded to interface with blockchain-based networks more easily like the one deployed in the Jordan test.

IrisGuard:

"the world leader in biometric technology that pioneered iris recognition developments and applications, iris camera engineering, design, manufacturing and the worldwide commercialization of iris end-to-end identity solutions, particularly in homeland security, banking & finance."

IrisGuard EyeBank® technology has successfully and effortlessly enrolled online over 1.6 million vulnerable Syrian refugees displaced throughout the neighboring countries.

PRbuzz.com:

The humanitarian EyeBank® project is the world’s largest Iris deployment intended to provide financial inclusion services to Syrian refugees. 

The holistic project is operated by an international aid agency. The iris database is used in a variety of refugee services (Financial, Social, Food etc.) by the aid agency and its affiliated non-governmental organizations (NGO) throughout the MENA region.

There is that word again: financial inclusion. It is mentioned a lot in the World Bank's goal of Universal Financial Access (UFA) by 2020. Their progress can be tracked here: Universal Financial Access 2020

Bear in mind that iris scanning is only a small step towards the Entry Point plan. Innovative product launches can only be effective if the concept is not too unfamiliar: the public's comfort zone must be respected. Iris scans are not new - a growing proportion of the public has either seen it in action or undergone an iris scan themselves at some time. But the main focus is still on the point of vaccination for a number of practical reasons. I can imagine that this pilot in Jordan will give the conspirators plenty of data to work with for the next phase of ID2020.

Read this article in German on:  Oedv-exodus blog
(No political affiliation of mine - I observe but don't affiliate with any political spectrum)

Update June 11 2018
ID2020 is now inviting proposals for pilots suitable for "scalability and replicability".  This means that they are getting ready for worldwide application.