Noticed something odd in my mid-western state. Attempted to take a rather spontaneous camping trip in a state park. In years past you could occupy an open site and pay the next day to an actual attendant who walked around to see which sites were occupied.
Not any more. Permanent signage in place saying "no vacancy". Mandating on-line registration by at least the day before. The "open" sites now have red signs saying "do not occupy" or some such. It appeared the campgrounds were under 25% full. The ostensible reason for this nonsense is "COVID-19" but it was obvious these regulations (park offices closed) had killed the summer season. Found another place to camp and returned the next day to an empty lakeside swimming area and sparsely used trails. Sad.
This experience indicated to me that there has been an agenda in place to take away the freedom to use cash, to plan spontaneously or to do much of anything at all without tech surveillance.
Oddly, I recall two signs near trail heads in the park giving phone numbers to report human trafficking. Are those signs there because they will help people in a victim situation or are those signs evidence of people being trafficked from state parks? Does registering online for a campground and describing your party (minor children, perhaps) protect you from traffickers or make you available to them?