- A petition to eliminate the plan for compulsory digital identity cards has already reached more than a million signatures in one day
- Critics warn against the risk of mass monitoring and digital control
- This has echoed the problems of confidentiality and security from civil societies and other politicians
An amazing number of British asks the government to refrain from introducing compulsory digital identity cards.
More than a million British have already signed a petition asking to repeal the plan in just one day, the number of signatures increasing every minute.
Speaking of a conference in London Friday, September 26, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that the digital identification scheme will help fight illegal immigration. The regime also promises to facilitate the task of citizens to use vital government services.
This means that, unlike other countries that have already deployed certain forms of digital identification, each adult in the United Kingdom must have the so-called “British card” to prove that they have the right to live and work in the country.
“We believe that it would be a step towards mass surveillance and digital control, and that no one should be forced to register with an identity system controlled by the state”, reads the petition, stressing that “identity cards were abandoned in 2010, in our opinion for a good reason”.
The public feeling echoed concerns from civil societies and political ranks. Defenders of Watch Big Brother have already considered digital identification as “Big Brother in your pocket” in January, when the first project of the program was unveiled.
Can BRIT cards be deprived and secure?
The system, said the government, uses “cutting -edge encryption and authentication technology” to keep private and secure data.
However, these details do not seem to be enough to convince criticism.
According to Silkie Carlo, director of the group of defenders of privacy based in the United Kingdom, Big Brother Watch, Digital Ids will do nothing to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the United Kingdom. But they will rather make Britain less free and safe.
“Incredibly sensitive information about each of us would be hoarded by the state and vulnerable to cyber attacks,” wrote Carlo.
After all, the British public system has bad history to ensure the security of people’s data. In March of last year, for example, a ransomware gang hacked NHS Dumfries and the Digital Database of Galloway and stole 3 TB of identification information belonging to both staff and patients.
Then there is the online security law, which, according to experts, could still constitute a threat to strong encryption.
The work plan for the risks of compulsory digital identification creating a more authoritarian state. Under constant supervision, we had to go through digital control points just to live our daily life – with even more obstacles to minorities, migrants and digital exclusion.September 25, 2025
The Brit Cards program does not convince the political world either.
The former Labor MP Zarah Sultana considered compulsory digital identification as “digital control points”, which would lead the British to live their daily lives in “constant surveillance”.
On a similar note, the head of the United Kingdom reform, Nigel Farage, said that he was “firmly opposed” to the proposal, arguing that “this will not make any difference for illegal immigration, but it will be used to control and penalize the rest of us”.
Critical voices even come from Starmer’s party, Nadia Whittome qualifying the plan “nonsense divisor and authoritarian”.
What is the next step?
Parliament should be provided to consider the debate request now that it has received more than 100,000 signatures. So we have to wait and see what will be the answer.
Starmer remains convinced that the plan would help repress illegal work and promote the digitization of the country, describing the digital ID as “a huge opportunity for the United Kingdom”.
The government is now ready to “listen to a range of points of view on how the service will be delivered” as part of a public consultation later in the year.
In the event of success, the United Kingdom will join some European nations which have already deployed their own iteration under the EU digital identity portfolio scheme. With a big difference, however: the British will be forced to join, no matter whether or not they wish.
