My Predictions for 2022

Looking back at my predictions for 2021 (see IDN March 2021), I’m once again drawn to the conclusion that the pandemic is not over yet. On the contrary, at the beginning of 2022, we are going through an evolution of the virus.

Trying to recover normality as we knew it will undoubtedly be a long-term challenge; COVID continues to impact our lives, affecting our fundamental rights, such as our free movement.

We know that the 9/11 terrorist attack transformed the way we identify ourselves. First, it led to the incorporation of biometrics in the electronic passports of passengers, and later, the application of information technologies to analyse the Advance Passenger Information (API) and creating a Passenger Name Registry (PNR).

All these technological innovations took about 20 years to progress. In this sense, the appearance of COVID-19 rapidly accelerated these transformations. It was sought to facilitate the resolution of legal procedures avoiding physical contact between people.