The Higherside Chats Hakeem Anwar | Digital Freedom, The Above Phone, & Taking Back Our Tech
Nov 7, 2025
Hakeem Anwar, a technologist who left big tech to advocate for digital privacy, shares his insights on the dangers of surveillance technology. He discusses the implications of digital IDs, biometric tracking, and how these systems can control behavior. Hakeem explains his innovative Above phone and app ecosystem, designed to enhance privacy while avoiding mainstream tech. He also emphasizes the importance of community-driven tech solutions and the necessity of reclaiming our online privacy from centralized platforms.
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Visibility Enables Control
- Privacy is central because visibility enables control and manipulation by powerful entities.
- Big tech profits from free services by building intimate algorithmic profiles that influence behavior.
Avoid Biometrics When Renewing IDs
- Opt out of biometric enrollment whenever possible to resist digital ID enrollment paths.
- Use rural government offices to avoid mandatory biometric capture during renewals.
Digital ID Is Designed To Be Global
- Digital ID aims for global interoperability so verified claims travel across borders.
- That design turns local IDs into components of a global electronic control grid.