British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chose a packed room at the 2025 Global Progress Action Summit to formally brief citizens on how the government plans to combat illegal immigration. All adults will be required to prove their right to work and live in the UK using a mandatory digital ID app, the BritCard.
Petition with demand refuse the scheme for privacy reasons collected more than a thousand signatures in about 24 hours, although at the time of writing there were already more than 2.8 million. Politicians from both sides of the aisle and even within Starmer's party have also sharply criticized the decision.
It's true: a digital ID isn't necessarily evil. Estonia is one of the few examples in the world proving that a digital ID can combat illegal activities such as fraud, speed up bureaucracy and make democratic participation more accessible. However, trust is the key to achieving this, and BritCard doesn't have it.
The UK has a poor record of keeping people's sensitive data secure. In the latter case, a cyber attack on UK Legal Aid Agency in April led to leak of up to 2.1 million data on citizens, including criminal records.
In his official announcementThe UK government will ensure that the digital identity scheme is “designed with best-in-class security” and “credentials will be stored directly on people's own devices.” The system is also expected to use “state-of-the-art encryption and authentication technology” to ensure data privacy and security.
However, constant pressure from law enforcement agencies on backdoor encryption is also causing concern among cryptographers, security experts and identity software developers, who argue that such a requirement could make all our devices even less secure.
Privacy nightmare
The desire to digitize citizens' identity cards is not unique to the UK. The European Union has introduced a similar scheme, with some member countries already implementing early versions. However, there is a key difference: we will all be forced to use BritCard whether we like it or not.
However, this was not always the case. According to GOV.UK wallet scheme, was announced back in January, the British will receive option digitize your documents in one application, starting with your driver's license, to make it easier to use government services.
Its evolution into BritCard is based on the idea of the think tank Labor Together, which pioneered published a detailed report in June. Here, digital ID in the UK is mainly a measure to combat illegal immigration.
Under the plan, a compulsory national digital ID will be issued free of charge to all citizens with the right to live or work in the UK, regardless of whether they are British citizens or legal migrants.
“The BritCard will be a verifiable digital credential downloaded to a user's smartphone that employers or landlords can instantly verify using a free verification app,” the report explains.
But digital rights activists and even some politicians are concerned about the prospect that a mandatory digital ID could create a “checkpoint society” where everyone is less safe.
In his reportBig Brother Watch argues that BritCard could ultimately normalize data sharing while eliminating the need for proportionality included in the current legal framework.
Campaigners also mention the risk of “function creep”, arguing that digital identity systems may be prone to expansion. “This is especially true for systems designed to prevent harm, disorder or crime, which often operate under the assumption that as much data as possible must be obtained,” they write.
After all, the perhaps dystopian possibility of introducing “community impact assessments” appears to be already on the table. As noted in the report published Tony Blair Institute for Global ChangeUltimately, citizens will be able to use the BritCard to report issues in the community, “ensuring they feel the impact of effective delivery in their daily lives.”
Security starts with trust
The increased need for reliable identity management software has led to the growth of this sector. Companies are working to develop private and secure digital ID software. These experts believe that if implemented correctly, digital IDs could even become a secure way to ensure age verification.
If implemented well, that's the key.
A single database containing the most confidential information about all citizens will certainly become an attractive target for attackers seeking to carry out ID theft and similar attacks.
However, the UK has repeatedly demonstrated its inability to keep our data secure. At the same time, encryption backdoors like resumed against Apple could ultimately undermine the security provided by this technology.
So it's not surprising that civil liberties groups are concerned that BritCard could become a honeypot for hackers and hostile governments.
❌ Reject digital ID✊Britain has a long and proud history of rejecting proposals for compulsory ID, and we should reject this too. Sign and share the petition ⤵️https://t.co/Nz0lv55UR8September 25, 2025
People in the UK are worried, and with good reason. At best, there is a chance that our most sensitive data will be compromised and hacked by IT hackers. At worst, this mass collection could lead to increased control and surveillance by those who promise that digital identities will make our lives better.
Perhaps the saddest thing is that the government is portraying the Brit Card as a way to combat illegal immigration. However, in reality, many doubt that a digital ID can bring any meaningful benefit.
As an EU immigrant living and working in the UK, I know that a system for proving your right to work and reside in the country is already in place. In the form of a numerical combination, instantly delivered by the government portal upon request.
So, is the UK's mandatory digital ID scheme just a desire to streamline bureaucracy, or is there more to it? In any case, the UK certainly needs to address its data security issues first before accidentally creating a new collateral entry into our most sensitive information. A hacker's hot dream that could turn into our worst nightmare.
