But this time, she didn’t smile. This story explores themes of digital surveillance, civic transparency, and the human cost of frictionless governance — inspired by the real-world domain name and Georgia’s ongoing journey toward e-governance.

She thought of her students, learning poetry about freedom. She thought of the portal’s tagline: “Declaration.gov.ge — For a Georgia that fears no truth.”

She wasn’t corrupt. She wasn’t rich. She was just… tracked.

She submitted. A green checkmark appeared: Declaration accepted. You are now in compliance. Thank you for building a transparent Georgia.

She closed her laptop. Then, after a long moment, she opened it again. She typed slowly:

Nino Makharadze, a 34-year-old high school literature teacher, had never paid much attention to the annual ritual. Every spring, like clockwork, her phone buzzed with a reminder from the state portal: “Time to file your asset declaration. Visit declaration.gov.ge.”