Conspiracy when looked up is defined (in small part) as a secret plan. I'll more use the word opportunistic and let people decide from the content if it is deemed a conspiracy.
Covid brought about lots of opportunistic situations, I'd suggest it advanced a cashless society by a decade. That would be an opportunistic situation especially from a government control perspective and the benefits it brings to the financial sector.
Also by accepting that advancement it demonstrates to those in power, are happy to accept digital controls on your life. Everything you do, virtually everywhere you go with in the UK, whether it be on foot or by car is now recorded in one form or another.
Many years ago it was suggested government wanted to implement id cards - covid helped advance that cause with proof of a covid vaccination, a different method of id, but id nontheless. People willingly using their mobiles to access retricted areas to non vaccinated.
Everything now is digital from our passports to our driving licence, from our health records to our contactless. The list is endless and we've allowed ourselves to sleep walk into it.
Putin has proved that a so called dictator can rear it's head at anytime, through to the stories out of China of human rights violations against the uyghur muslims. Should we be concerned, dead right we should, Trump has proven it don't take much to bring a madman to power.
So what are we doing to stop it, well from where I am sitting, nothing! The government will lie to you, the media will lie to ou, to push whatever cause is their flavour of the day, normally resulting in more invisible restrictions on us their citizens. Restrictions you don't see, until you try protest or strike. Social media will be restricted next, it's only a matter of time.
You've may never have commited a crime, but your whole life is being tagged by that phone or card you carry in your pocket. I'm old now, so don't care, I will accept the challenges that a digital society brings an oldie, but do I worry for the freedom of our future, yes I do, and I don't even blame Putin or China for that, look no close to home than our very own state, and be afraid, be very afraid.