To be clear, I really don’t have an understanding of what the mark the beast is and it wasn’t very informed speculation to wonder if this might be that. Perhaps I made a mistake mentioning that possibility instead of just focusing on the idea that this is a disturbing tool for authoritarianism and making two classes of citizenry.
Debates on the “Mark of the Beast” are kinda like arguing whether you are getting hit with a club or a baseball bat.
Either one is “true enough”...