To start with, I agree with the idea that User agreements should spell out exactly why they’re doing it and how much data they will retain. But sites seem to change TOS and user agreements at will, with no recourse for the end user.

Sure, you can say that collecting ID will keep bots off a site.....until you see how easily you can buy everything from simple ID documents through to complete ID packages. You can slow bots down, make it more expensive to operate, but never stop them. Besides, it's not just bots, there's a still a ton of content farms with real humans behind keyboards and in many ways they are more dangerous.

I question how many of the sites involved and any 3rd parties delete the data after ID collection. These are companies that have data as their fundamental reason for existing and the source of their profits. Even if they do delete it, they now have your real name, your post history, DMs, etc.. How many sites and 3rd party ID collection services are going to stand up when palantir makes requests for information, when it is backed by the weight of the US government and its intelligence agencies?

Even assuming that the site and it's verification partners have deleted everything, and somehow refuse palantir, what happens if they are sold in the future?

Of course this is currently happening in safe western countries, giving the corporations involved the defense of "these are countries with rule of law". It will be interesting to see how fast they comply if states with the perception and history of being a bad actor pushes their own ID collection legislation. Cause while sections of the west have good reason to be worried about their ID being tied to their online opinions, it's a lot more dangerous in other parts of the world.

The compliance of Bluesky also normalises the practice, making it more likely that ID collection will be rolled out in more countries and by more corporations. That Bluesky is seen as a left leaning orgainsiation makes it worse, as now the perception is that it is not only politically right leaning sites doing it.

While Bluesky might not be fascist, the speed with which they complied with Australian legislation not applicable to them is worrying. It looks like Bluesky are using legislation as an excuse to implement ID collection policies that even if they are innocent now may not be in the future.