Public opposition to the UK's proposed Digital ID scheme is overwhelmingly strong, with widespread fears of privacy invasion, government control, and potential authoritarianism. The majority of comments express distrust towards the government, viewing the initiative as a deceptive strategy for increased surveillance rather than a viable solution to illegal immigration. Activist sentiments for collective resistance and non-compliance are prevalent, underscoring a shared fear of civil liberties erosion.

UK Government

Civil Liberties Activists

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Who is behind this? Answer, billionaires.

PristineWatercress19

Looks like the UK is having the same insane billionaire takeover of their country as we are.

WitchesTeat

Now THIS is insanity.

This has NOTHING to do with immigration.

This WILL be used to control the people. 

Don’t like my politics? Your ID is frozen. Didnt pay your light bill on time? ID frozen. Went to a protest? Passport revoked. 

Can’t believe I lived to see so many things that were once considered fringe become reality

Disastrous-Heron-491

This is from the book “Careless People”, written by Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former Facebook executive.

It’s 2011 -

*”Most countries like Facebook. Germany’s an outlier. The Germans disapprove of everything Facebook stands for. It wasn’t very long ago that Germans lived with networks of spies and informants in their country — the Stasi in East Germany and the Gestapo before that. As a result, they have a fundamental suspicion of anyone who wants to gather lots of personal information-which of course is Facebook’s business model. Where others see a website that’s good for wasting time, Germans see a comprehensive surveillance tool that needs muscular oversight. This instinctive and deeply held wariness of a technology company centralizing and processing vast amounts of personal information raises questions that Facebook has never had to answer, certainly not to a government. Germany, prescient because of its history, can see around corners. It’s on the verge of passing laws and starting investigations into Facebook-one of the first countries to do so.*”

A government mandated digital ID is a very, *very* dangerous idea.

Ohuigin

Identify theft hackers love this one simple trick...

isinkthereforeiswam

Can somebody break this down and explain what it actually means?

WoodyManic

The policy was officially announced by the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, on Friday, September 26, 2025, at the Global Progress Action Summit in London. The PM stated, "You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID."

Sources &amp; petition:

• Announcement Clip (1m 11s): [Watch the Prime Minister's Digital ID Announcement](https://youtu.be/nTGnUa7Ng7g)
 
• Full Summit Stream: [The Complete Global Progress Action Summit Discussion on Digital ID (Starts at 1:39:16)](https://www.youtube.com/live/j3Lz2G_ZmZw?t=1h39m16s)

 • Official UK Parliament Petition (2.7+ Million Signatures): [Sign the Petition Against Mandatory Digital ID for UK Citizens](https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/730194)

*(Note: The petition will be considered for debate in Parliament as it has exceeded 100,000 signatures.)*

dustersoul

Isn't this like the quiet part at the start of those terminator movies where the government has "good ideas" that go horribly wrong? Maybe give the AI some guns next and have them be the police.

fogcat5

Hey, American here.

Early warning. Don't even let them get started. Make like the French and nip this in the bud *now.* You'll regret sitting on your ass eight years from now.

Begone-My-Thong

Shit like this is why I plan on abandoning modern technology for more basic forms of communication. 


Samsung just brokered a partnership with OpenAI to expand their AI delivery, something I have personal grievance against. They are already forcibly stuffing AI down our throats everywhere you go and it's enough for me to never buy a Samsung or Google phone ever again. I will completely abandon using any of their services for as long as I live. 


Stuff like this, that is very poorly thought out, very poorly optimized, and rolled out at an extremely massive scale, without field testing, albeit mandatory, is why I will never trust any government for anything. It gives them full access to all your digital data, and they do not need access to any more of your personal information than they already have. 


I literally cannot remove AI from my S23 Ultra, it is so imbedded deep in the software, that even uninstalled, disabled, **and deleted**, it still has functional access to run/change whatever it wants on my phone. It's functionally broken technology that is being rolled out at an advanced pace. I chose Android for functionality and I will leave it just the same for the lack of it. 

AnoAnoSaPwet

So \*\*when\*\* the system gets hacked, and peoples lives are devasted by identity theft, how does the government intend on compensating them?

T3RRYT3RR0R

If they had any sense, they'd introduce it but not make it mandatory. 

There are lots of use-cases where having a digital ID could really streamline things. If those without the digital-ID saw their query/wait times etc. were greater because they didn't have it, they might be tempted to sign up.

But by making it mandatory from day 1, the discussion is all about privacy, Government overreach, censorship etc.

whooo_me

twizx3

How to turn a tiny island into a massive surveillance state in one easy step.

SanchoPandas

Herban_Myth

Come on, billionaires. Who'll be the first show the world how safe and modern putting a chip in your hand or forehead will be.

BadAsBroccoli

Digital IDs are not more secure only harder to forge

Durkheimynameisblank

I sincerely hope UK starts their protests on this and rejects this like poison being injected into their veins. We are witnessing a government + corporate takeover across the globe. The time to rise up is now before we cannot any longer.

addiktion

I can't remember a time one of these petitions made any difference whatsoever. They exist for the government's convenience, and as a means for us to feel like we're making a grand statement, and nothing more. They don't actually accomplish anything. 

Physical presence does.

ProperPizza

Ah yes, let’s use illegal immigration as a justification for any policy. This is in no way different to OSA and “children’s safety” as a justification.

Laws based on vibes and ideology, not merit

Mysterious_Evening9

How will IBM or Oracle pay bills if we dont have a digital ID!

liaminwales

Looking forward to Fujitsu getting this contract then doing a bigger fuck up than they did with Horizon and British citizens being denied basic rights. This was never going to be overturned while there's money to be made by the consultancies and outsourcing companies.

TheHess

cash in hand work just got a whole lot more appealing

Smelly_Legend

Pretty sure this will be the end of Starmer. This is a huge change, and it's not something that cannot be put to a public vote. If it were in their manifesto, maybe it'd fly, but it just wasn't. This is a law brought in by a government looking not to enact the public will, but to line the pockets of Blaire and his chums.

TheJoshGriffith

The petition is a bit insincere as details haven't even announced yet.

TrainingVegetable949

we'll see what they do when the protests starts.

YesIAmRightWing

I don't see this government getting anything substantial done, with the mess of organization they've proven to be so far. The idea they'll suddenly organize a 4-year plan to organize all our various ID schemes, databases, and systems into one neat little bow is ludicrous--especially without *majority public support.*

*The way things are looking, I don't even see them deciding how to implement this poorly proposed scheme within the next 4 years.*

Regardless of your political perspective, I think it's blatantly obvious that this *will go down poorly*\--only the ever shrinking middle-class have the will to scoff off claims of government mismanagement, at this point. Like with all things Labour, what seems to be in the interests of their leaders' pockets, is only turning into more reason for the majority to vote Reform, destroy public safety, and exacerbate every political issue the government feigns concern over.

TheMightyNovac

&gt; the government is supposed to be a representative of the people

What on earth made you think this?

If you factor in their low vote share, the low turnout (especially the true turnout and not the inflated official figure) and then the fact that a third of people who voted did so "tactically," approximately 11.5% of the electorate actually supported them on 4th July 2024. That was their *height* for fucks sake, barely one in eight people.

The very idea that government is supposed "represent the people" is laughable. They're meant to rule, that's how big two parties like it and they'll do whatever it takes to keep it that way, because if they actually had to represent the people they'd be struggling to live on the benefits they keep cutting.

The parliamentary debate on this is going to be hilarious, much like the petition debates earlier in this parliament it'll be a bunch of first timer MPs reading speeches written by their betters in government, likely with thinly veiled insults aimed at the petition creator and signatories as is tradition, then once everyone has said their piece a minister will stand up, say that they've enjoyed the show but "petitions aren't democracy" and then call the whole sorry affair to a close.

-Murton-

No evidence this will do anything to stop immigration. Why does this shit and the OSA have to be forced through, all opposition be damned, when things like WFA are pulled back the moment a newspaper says old people aren't happy?

EdsTooLate

I have lost all faith in this government. If I wanted the tories, I’d have voted for them and hopefully got the full fat version instead of this diet Tory nonsense we’ve got going on now.

AppropriateDevice84

Why should the government listen to or care about the petition?

They already listen to the general public far too much which is why we have nimbys and triple lock bs

The general public are morons and the less you listen to them the better

krisolch

I’m looking forward to digital id. Maybe you’re in a bubble

nyashiiii

Digital ID will be very helpful for everyday citizens and deliver efficiencies by the next election. 

Simplifying and streamlining various sources of government data will make checking compliance easier, accessing and providing services easier, and accessing benefits easier. 

This is the best and most sensible thing they've done so far, and everyone against it is just unaware of what data is already available if a bad actor wanted it. With the powers of our security services, the idea that a digital ID is the change that's going to create civil liberties issues is simply naïve.

EarFlapHat

A much much much higher proportion of people
demanded a follow up Brexit referendum (with a clear means to deliver it) once it became clear that the first one was only advisory and also subjected to Russian interference. Did they get it? No.

Get over it and move on.

JamesTiberious

I am in favour of ID, but have never in truth seen the point of these petitions on issues like this that simply have a "don't do X" ask. Petitions have their place but I think for this if those millions of people instead wrote to their MP it would likely have a much bigger impact. 

Plus, let's be honest they can be easily signed from overseas so how many of these are legit British based signatures?

Ross2503

 I want to start a petition – will you sign it?

[Sign the petition](https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/745480/sponsors/new?token=h3tT2Y1rciYG9Zf5xY3M)

Shut down parliamentary petitions website - it is clear government doesn't care

Until we have a government that is willing to listen to the British electorate, in any way, we should save tax payer money and shut down the parliamentary petitions website, as it is currently a farce.

Over the last year the government was constantly replied to all petitions from this parliamentary petitions website with a "we're doing what we want, we don't care what you say" on all matters. The current government has made it clear they do not care what the British electorate think, so what is the point of this website? We thus consider the tax money on this farce to be a waste, and thus this website should be shutdown until we have a democratic government willing to listen.

[Sign the petition](https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/745480/sponsors/new?token=h3tT2Y1rciYG9Zf5xY3M)

6dwavenminer

If the referendum on Brexit petition didn't get anywhere then these sorts of ones have no chance. The ID card is a minor inconvenience compared to us losing our EU rights.

Slow_Introduction_76

I still can't belive people think these make any difference what do ever

Litmoose

Sorry but. I don’t even see the big deal. I know I’ve got an unpopular opinion here. But I’m actually looking forward to this. I’m not too concerned about theft of data, I actually think if used properly it can reduce fraud. It would be handy to have a Digital ID. Would be even better if I could travel abroad without the need for a passport.

Savage-September

how is a digital ID any different from a National Insurance Number?

This petition had 6 times as many signatories compared to the OSA petition, and the result is the same, it's sticking fingers in their ears and going *lalalalalalalala*

scottishdrunkard

The reason the UK is in the place it is is because it fell sway to the mob too many times. Better to forge ahead with policies that will improve the country and be unpopular with a vocal minority than continue our slide into irrelevance and mediocrity.

anonCambs

Hold on... let me guess... before I click the link.

"We're going to press ahead with this anyway, nothing will change, we might review it if you make a fuss."

ledow

Mental-Reference-719

The Labour government is at it's lowest approval rating ever but undeterred, they are focusing on making themselves absolutely un-electable for generation via implementing deeply unpopular policies they know will alienate millions of voters.

JackStrawWitchita

Why can't it be an eID card in physical form?

hamstar_potato

&gt;The government thinks that the ID will “stop those with no right to be here from being able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key ‘pull factors’ for people who come to the UK illegally”.

&gt;“It will send a clear message that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to work, deterring people from making these dangerous journeys.”

&gt;The new system is reportedly being implemented as a means of tracking down those working illegally in the UK.

Complete and utter rubbish. Employers are already legally required to check your right to work and cannot hire you if they cannot determine you have it.

Meaning anyone that employs illegal immigrants won't care about the digital ID because they've not been bothering to check the existing physical ones anyway.

From an employment point of view, you've only harmed companies with proper checks already in place since you've increased their costs. While shady employers will see no difference whatsoever.

Definitely_Human01

The only way illegals find work in the UK is if they are paid under the table.

Go after the businesses and audit their financials. Zoom in on those whose numbers make no sense. You'll find out why those illegals are there.

BrotherRoga

Government: We need some sort of digital ID, so we can verify who signed this petition!

M1dnightBlue

I think you people should protest like Nepal, if they don't understand and ignore peaceful protests/petitions, then there is no other alternative left against corruption

you people should FIGHT for what is important to you, and not wait with hope that they care about you, they don't, the government should be at their people's mercy, not the other way around

Someone_Unknown745

I don't understand why people are shocked at the government's response to these petitions, they aren't a tool to tell the government you don't like what they're doing, they're a tool to raise a previously undiscussed issue to the government's attention. The petition aspect is to prove there is a significant enough public interest to warrant the issue's discussion.

They know full fucking well this isn't popular.

DanzNewty

Called it, they don't give a fuck about us anymore.
2.4 million signatures. Kier don't care.

Sudden_Question7490

we have mandatory national id cards here in romania, and i don't see the issue with them. not everyone has a passport or driving license, so how else would you vote or identity yourself? i don't want to be carrying my birth certificate with me everywhere.

dennishapca

Legal immigrants (like myself) have had to prove their right to work digitally through a GovUK site for (at least) the past 5 years.

If the existing system truly has gaps in security, I don't see why hardening that isn't the obvious solution.

The quality of software solutions from the UK government has been rapidly deteriorating in the past few years. I had to get my electronic ID for the settlement scheme (yes - legal immigrants already have this) sorted at a home office location 2 hours from where I live, because the "app" with 1.2 star rating on App Store, simply did not work.

They're about to spend hundreds of millions on shoddy software, built by friends of friends. At best, the build will drag on for years, at worst, it'll lead to leak and/or loss of personal information.

I'm not conceptually opposed to an electronic ID. As a legal immigrant in the UK I already have it. The government claiming it's to combat illegal immigration is clearly disingenuous, which is the concerning part.

danielkov

Serious question,how are homeless people/poor people who are unable to pay for a phone or internet connection be able to access digital IDs? It was already difficult enough for homeless people to obtain physical documentation but this is now impossible.

Educational-Fig3174

I’m sure the companies that already don’t respect labor laws will respect this labor law. 

If an employer wants to hire people under the table and not check if a person is legally allowed to work then adding more red tape to checking their status won’t change anything at all…they’ll still just hire someone under the table.

digiorno

Don't even need to read, it will say "xdd you thought it would be different this time".

MonkeLord1234

so labour dont give one shit for over 3 million people agenst this i.d cards, shows you they dont care about you. next time vote someone compleetly diffrent over than cons labour or reform or nothing will change

Junior-Service1044

I for one, won't be getting one. They can put me in prison for all I care, I refuse to give this dictatorship yet another way to track and control me. They can kiss my arse

ComeOnAliens

Labour continues to push all the policies of the previous Tory administration, and wonders why they’re gonna lose literally everything in the election… 

This vexes me

NetStaIker

Do people in the UK not understand that they already have multiple digital ids?  The problem is that these digital ids are separate from each other, your NHS id is separate from your digital drivers licence which in turn is separate from your work and pensions digital id and so on.  So the government saying that they are going to merge them into a single digital id shouldn’t be that contentious.  This doesn’t even get into how people create their own on commercial networks either.

asmodraxus

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/the-digital-pound
 It’s all tied and unless we riot no one will stop it.

greekattorney

Petitions in the UK seem completely useless, UK should learn from France how citizens show discontent.

talldata

There's another currently open petition listed in the most popular petitions of all time, calling for a GE.

Now, it's one thing for the government to ignore 500,000 people, or even 2.7M when it comes to policy. That's 3% of the population.

But it's entirely another thing to reject 2.7M people calling for an immediate GE. That's standing in the face of popular revolution. Analysts say it takes only 3% of the population to form a popular revolution.

Anyway, this is why to all those feeling disenfranchised, whether it's about the online safety act - or the EHRC guidance - or now this digital ID bill - it's our responsibility to escalate our demands when we get ignored, to hold bastards like Starmer accountable for incompetence/authoritarian behavior.

I'm going to be signing that petition calling for an immediate GE, because it's thrice now we've been ignored. It's your civic duty too.

Iacoma1973

Interesting how much people are flipping out over this. 

I glossed over Facebook and saw posts about how this part of a plan with cashless pay and 15 minute cities to try and imprison British people. That 5G is being used to confuse and brainwash people into accepting it. 

On the flip side people have been fine dishing out their personal identities to private entities and unverified sources online for the last 20+ years. We know private companies have been farming, trading and monetizing our data for decades now. 

Yet this ID is where people flip out? An ID than many countries already use in some form or other? 

People are flipping out about their personal information and while I can sympathize with the underlying complaint I think it’s far too late. It’s like having a house fire and complaining someone started a BBQ in your garden “but what if it burns my house down?” Like it’s way too late for that concern. 

Most people’s personal information is already in more hands than people can imagine. Then people are walking around with a smartphone that details their daily habits form steps, to places visited, sites used, information input, payments made, contacts, friends, family, health issues, address, children, private pictures, face scanning.

As far as I feel, the national ID is long overdue. Personally I would prefer to see a physical card rather than it being solely electronic. Having a physical ID with your national insurance number and any driving qualifications rolled into one would be more efficient.

The main concern is the same concern with everything and that’s the government and involved services not investing and having good enough cybersecurity. I hope they take it more seriously.

Jurassic_Bun

My take is that we are going to want it anyway. 

Scams with deepfake/AI will be here very soon and banks/businesses will need ways to confidently know they speak to the person and not a deepfake.

T0ysWAr

Identity in UK government services is broken. Government Gateway nearly fixed it a few years ago, but another part of government sabotaged it. The identity problem means that many services online are shit, fraud is easier, and the "hidden" problem is that there's a lot of stuff you can't do online *even though a public-sector body already has your data*.

Another side-effect of the current fragmentation is that identity-related enforcement is outsourced to third parties who *aren't good at it* \- consider the frequent fuckups when an incompetent estate agent tries to follow KYC checks, or a small business tries to validate whether they are allowed to employ you. Many of these problems would go away if there was a simple API, for which you need a coherent identity strategy.

But this initiative has provoked a mass paranoia response. It's like the response you get when suggesting "*We could improve some part of the NHS*" and suddenly a million people pretend it's a scheme to sell their kidneys to America.

Useless_or_inept

Every UK Petition is

Petition: Good thing please

185472 signatures

The Government has responded:  
No

LordFiresnake

Let me guess, they called everyone who signed it pedophiles again

Hellstorm901

The official response summarised

"lmao, stfu, we \*are\* introducing digital ID for lie 1, lie 2, lie 3"

AmethystDorsiflexion

honestly, I don't see a problem with it. Even though in France the national identity cart is not obligatory, it is quite difficult to not have one for some formalities. Having it in digital form is much more convenient and safe.

Mission-Shopping7170

What a long-winded way of saying 'No, we will do what we want'.

Makes me wonder, has any of these online petitions actually caused significant, national change or is it just in place so that people think they have 'done something' by signing it?

Esqulax

Imagine if the government made everyone carry a device with them that could track everywhere they went, what websites they visited, every call and message that they make?

Oh.

Dolphin_Spotter

That site needs taking down... might save a few quid

phoebe_star

Labour and Tories are the same party and Reform is also the same but punched up to eleven. Man Britain is a fucked country. Fuck these 3 completely. 

3 Anti-Immigration, Conservative Pro-Business Parties.

aschec

Itz_420_Somewhere

The only petition that matters to MPs is a recall petition

boshjosh1918

They've lied..it was not in the manifesto. This can't be lawful

imperial_leisure

Well then it might be the case that these 3 million people do not let themselves being ignored and visit London to make their case.

Slackeee_

You know the post office scandal was created because they tried to create a smart welfare system in the 90s. It wasn't up to par and was several hundred million over budget and behind schedule. 


So they repackaged it as a buggy, horrible to use post office accounting software. As to not cause embarrassment. They truly destroyed lives over the decades since then simply admit to a mistake. Labour was also in power then

Intelligent_Sense_14

This is the start of a very bleak and dystopian future. The Tyrant Starmer has announced that it will not be mandatory to have a Digital ID, but at the same time, you can not work without having one. It's their way of cutting people off from existence. They want total control over the population. The British Public must not allow this to happen. Resist it every step of the way, do not allow the U.K. to be a social credit state like China. We are not Communist, but supposed to be a free thinking, Demorcratic progressive nation which has fought 2 world wars to preserve its values. The U.K. has been a false democracy for many decades. If Labour are so adement of a Digital ID system it should be voted in, not just announced. Absolute Dictator, hiding behind a falling democratic curtain.

redeyedwill

Mods... mods.... not "local" news? 20 hours up, while the topics you deemed "those that shall not be named" were removed in minutes with the excuse they were "local" news (ironically one of the topics also happened in the UK).

HugoVaz

Just refuse it . Just say No and don't sign up to it

Kind_Commission_427

Was the response something like: 


"Lol, that's cute but fuck you".

Apprehensive_Fix8366

This would actually be benefical for the country...

...if it was done phsically. Like in 2009.

Otto500206

The only purpose petitions serve is to delay protests and demonstrations as much as possible to give time for government to make something a law before things get ugly. Once they become a law, protestors cant do anything. Its much easier to stop something than to repeal something and government is very much aware of that.

som1sumwr

Don't have to even click it, already can figure the response will be: "Ahaha nah, man".

Caffeine_Enthusiast3

It's like Labour is trying to make Farage PM. How else can you explain their reckless, deeply unpopular policies that they want to enforce on the British people? Expect the gap in the polls to widen further...

Suspicious-Front-208


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Answer: The UK does not have a national identity card. The government is suggesting a digital ID which would exist as some kind of app, possibly integrated with mobile phone wallets.


It's splitting opinion. The main arguments in favour seem to be:


1) As there's currently no single ID card, people in the UK currently use a variety of other means of ID e.g. driving licence, birth certificate, utility bills etc. Having a single form would simplify this.


2) Some of the current methods of identification may be difficult for poorer people to access e.g. a driving licence. 


3) Making a digital ID a requirement to be employed may crack down on illegal immigrants being hired for jobs they shouldn't be able to have, and help avoid benefit fraud


There are several common arguments against it:


1) It will involve creating an expensive new IT system.


2) Illegal immigrants are often working cash in hand jobs anyway, so this won't reduce their illegal employment.


3) Civil liberties concerns e.g. fears that it may encourage the police to stop people and demand to see ID. This is currently very rare in the UK and there is a strong cultural aversion to increasing it.


4) Related to the previous point, needing to identify yourself in-person in the UK is not something which happens that often. Some argue that it's not a big enough problem to require a new solution.


5) The government are currently following a strategy of attempting to appeal to right wing voters, and a cynical interpretation of this is that it is being done as a performative attempt to look tough on things like illegal work rather than being a policy which will make a significant difference.

Anaptyso

Answer: the UK currently uses a range of things to verify your identity when needed (as an example, you'd need a photo ID like a driving licence or passport to open a bank account, along with an official proof of address such as  a bill in your name). One part of that is that to be legally employed, you usually need to provide a form of ID (usually a passport or driving licence, as these are currently the highest standard of verification) to prove you have right to work in the UK. An ID card would almost certainly join these in the top tier, as it will be both government issued and connected to other systems which are based on that identifier. 

The current perception is that the UK has an immigration problem, which is currently one of the noiser policy focuses for the last 5 or so years, so the current government has proposed ID cards based on those used elsewhere in Europe as a potential solution to this problem.

The backlash is partly a cultural issue and partly a specific mistrust of the government itself. Traditionally, the British have never been ones for carrying any forms of identity when they don't need to - you don't need to carry your driving licence to drive, for example, but you would have to produce it at a later date if you were stopped for speeding. In addition to that, the government seem to have been making lots of moves which put them firmly in the authoritarian bracket, such as their implementation of the Online Safety Act (actually passed into law by the previous government, but supported fully by the current one). On top of that, the ID card idea had already been floated by a previous Labour Prime Minister in Tony Blair, who is very unpopular at present due to his work in making the Iraq war happen.

This is why the main petition to the government had 2.1 million signatures when I looked this morning, which is very fast given the policy only being announced on Friday (26th Sept) and it now being Sunday (28th) before lunch.

oliverprose

Answer: Nobody knows yet, as the policy has only just been announced, and won’t be in force until 2029.

The government claims it will make it easier to find out who has the right to work in the UK. There has been a bit of a thing in the NHS recently of [immigrants faking their qualifications to get agency jobs](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/feb/14/nhs-nurses-being-investigated-for-industrial-scale-qualifications). Supporters say it will help tackle illegal migration if it’s harder for them to get jobs.

Critics say that the scheme could be expanded in the future to be used for surveillance purposes, and won’t do anything to prevent unscrupulous employers paying cash-in-hand to people who don’t have the right to work (one particular issue at the moment is people who have right to work “sub-letting” their JustEat/Uber etc accounts to people who don’t).

The anglosphere seems to have more of a problem with ID cards than other nations, as [the rest of Europe (and indeed the majority of Asia and South America)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_identity_card_policies_by_country) has them without incident.

PabloMarmite

Answer: it's a solution to a different problem that it won't fix, but is a current hot topic. The HMG has always traditionally justified its authoritarian bullshit with either child protection or anti-terrorism veils of respectability so the appeal to the flag-shaggers angle is new. The scope will creep/gallop beyond it's intended use, everything HMG does is like this, normalise the idea then quietly introduced the more unpleasant aspects later, though for someone like me it's hard to see anything positive.
All the while making it harder for regular people whilst introducing a ready made national database for potential, nastier, future governments to use.

thermitethrowaway

Answer: currently the UK lacks a national identifier, which causes the government problems with things like immigration status/right to work or rent, right to access benefits etc. 

[https://takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/how-the-uk-digital-id-will-work](https://takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/how-the-uk-digital-id-will-work)

UsediPhoneSalesman

Answer: Digital ID could be used innocuously to make ID verification easy, cut down on ID fraud, and make it harder to exist illegally in the UK. Most European countries are looking at something similar (the Swiss voted in favour of e-ID last week, for example). It's also a prerequisite for modernising, simplifying and streamlining public sector IT systems, which is long overdue.


However, some people fear digital ID will be used to track citizens' movement, spending etc and will be a slippery slope to a China-style social credit system. Or that the data the government holds will be sold off to private companies. Or that the new system will be even more of a target for hackers than the existing ones.


The slippery slope part is the one that's getting all the clicks and media attention. It's one part due to British governments in general leaning a bit more authoritarian than most, one part to do with recent laws like the OSA (the "wanking license") demonstrating that the current government isn't above such tracking, one part to do with Tony Blair (Prime Minister during the Iraq war and consequentially now a political bogeyman) being in favour of national ID cards when HE was in government, and one part just sheer tinfoil-hat libertarian "gub'ment control" paranoia in the same vein as 15-minute city and anti-vax hysteria.

UnloadTheBacon

Answer: Government creates immigration problem to make it easier to sell you on the "potential solution" to immigration problem that involves nefarious future changes that will impact citizens privacy rights and is the start of a social credit system. The UK Government hates it's citizens.

Recover20

idk about you guys but I'm just not going to comply.

MightyBigSandwich

How can they enforce this? Surely they can't make the older population that don't frequently use/ have smartphones do this?

Pepega_Paradise

&gt;The practicalities of the scheme will be subject to a consultation, which will also look at how to make it work for those without a smartphone or passport.

Top of the article OP. Short answer is the answer doesn't exist yet.

If they want to make this work for the entire British population then they need to accept that there are a large number of people in the country who don't even have a laptop/computer, let alone a smartphone. I'm curious to see if they plan on offering a physical alternative to having it stored digitally. I have a smartphone and even I feel like I'd prefer the physical card in the long run. I think many will.

I'm less concerned about the government keeping tabs on me (they already have basically everything they need from when I applied for my driving license, student loans, etc.), than I am about the fact this will likely be outsourced to TotallyTrustworthyBigDataLover Corp in the USA, which will definitely not put our data at risk.

I'm not one to keep myself out of it as I'd rather not deal with the hassle, but best of luck to those planning on not complying.

LukePJ25

Wow they really don’t want humans to have autonomy do they? I’m growing to hate technology more and more because of the spying abuse

simplyGilmore

The UK government is set to introduce a new digital ID scheme aimed at combating illegal migration, sparking debate over security and civil liberties.

UK Digital ID Scheme

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