All around, there is an air of acceptance. Slowly, we are being fused with the technology. There is no Big Brother enforcing compliance with this New Order. Simon is based in London these days. I can't vouch for the accuracy of his history, but the plot development is reminiscent of the successful campaign Simon waged when he led the nation to its wholesale rejection of the Australia Card in September 1987.
Books inevitably affect readers differently.
The Netherlands abandoned its census because its citizens had become highly cynical, and the credibility of the data collected was approaching vanishing point. Under threat, I sought solace in the fact that Simon is no technology buff, and has made mistakes in his descriptions of technology. Surely they must undermine his argument. Other readers will find that it is other parts of the book that strike chords with them. These are skilfully written, but necessarily fairly shallow analyses.