Over 500,000 people have signed a petition opposing Labour’s proposed digital ID cards, warning of surveillance and data risks despite government assurances of security and benefits.
More than half a million people have signed a petition calling for the scrapping of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to introduce mandatory digital ID cards for all UK adults.
The so-called “Brit-Cards,” Starmer argued, would tighten border security, curb illegal working, and make it easier for citizens to access public services. “Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure,” he said while addressing the Global Progress Action Summit in London. He added: “Let me spell it out, you will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID.”
Critics, however, have denounced the move as a step toward mass surveillance. Liberty’s director, Akiko Hart, said: “The evidence from countries with established digital ID systems shows it won’t reduce irregular migration. But it will create a host of human rights issues.” Silkie Carlo of Big Brother Watch described the plan as “dystopian,” warning that personal data could be vulnerable to cyber attacks.
While Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy insisted that digital IDs would not be compulsory to use, privacy groups remain unconvinced. Polling suggests most Britons harbour concerns about data security, even as Labour argues the measure will build a fairer immigration system.
The petition, launched on Parliament’s website, has now surpassed 500,000 signatures, intensifying pressure on the government to abandon the proposal.