"Why do we trust photographs when it comes to identity?" asks Bernd Stiegler in view of the universally lamented flood of images, which are also easy to manipulate or even produce using AI. Because identity is obviously not possible without media authentication. If we ask about the visual-political connection between identity and the media, we quickly focus on the commercial offerings of the metaverse and the aggressive behaviour of the New Right on social media channels, which are proving to be a battle zone for identity. Today, we are confronted with the dual challenge of conforming to the standards and formats of digital platforms in order to be recognised at all, while at the same time standing out as unique. These poles of typification and individualisation are prefigured in 19th century photography, when processes such as bertillonage standardised the photographic recording of "criminals" and the superimposition of individual photos created "types" intended to illustrate ideas of "race" and "nature". At the same time, the emergence of carte de visite photos, which made it possible to have unprecedented control over one's own appearance and role play, led to a playful approach to one's own image. This contrasts with the new right-wing fixation on identity, which is linked to images that are all too familiar from history. Bernd Stiegler succinctly demonstrates the conflicts and promises that govern image politics today.