“Orwellian society”, “checkpoint Britain” and “surveillance society”. These are just some of the terms used to describe the government’s digital identification system.
When it finally goes live, it will have your name, date of birth, and photo on your phone’s ID.
While the government says it wants to introduce it to help fight employment fraud, make it easier to get benefits, rent and apply to university, skeptics worry about privacy, data breaches and the erosion of civil liberties. So, what do people think about it?
Rumors have been circulating online that digital IDs are tracking Britons’ every move, from flight habits to meat consumption. Sir Keir Starmer told the Metro yesterday that this was all rubbish and “there are no plans to do it and there never would be”.
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Is it mandatory and can you leave it out?
Well, it’s safe to say the communication around it has been confusing. Starmer told us yesterday that it’s not mandatory unless you want to be employed, which probably the majority of the population does.
If you change jobs or apply for a job after 2028 – if the scheme is approved – you will need a digital ID to prove you have the right to work in the UK. Everything else – like buying booze – is optional, he added.
Matthew Feeney, head of advocacy at Big Brother Watch, said it was like being told you were welcome to go out but you needed a digital ID to do so.
He said: “It’s of very little comfort to be told you don’t have to sign up if you don’t want to work. Employment is a normal part of most people’s lives. I’m concerned that the government’s messaging on this is a bit deceptive, perhaps not on purpose.
Are we turning into George Orwell’s 1984?
This seems to be the feeling among people Metro readers. The story attracted more than 14,000 comments on our Facebook page, most of which were negative about the plan.
Okechukwu Ogbonnia said: “Is it hard for Starmer to take no for an answer?” People said no to digital identity.
Darren Grace thinks the system should be “optional from the start”. David Weston added: “Unfortunately people don’t trust governments anymore, even if he’s telling the truth, people just think yes this might be true now, but over time they add more and more restrictions little by little.”
But David Joanes believes the system will “make life easier” for people. He said: “Many countries already use them for identification when accessing health services and opening bank accounts.”
For reader Tom Bond, who works in cyber security, trust is a key issue and he fears that data can be hacked. He told Metro: ‘That’s a very bad idea. I would never use it unless someone came knocking on my door and made me do it.
Siân Berry, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, condemns the plans across party lines and has called on the government to scrap the plans.
He told Metro: ‘People are going to oppose this. “Checkpoint Britain”, “surveillance society” are all things that our citizens cannot tolerate, they see it as state intrusion.
“The bottom line is that people don’t have to prove who they are or account for themselves as they go about their daily lives, and a digital identity card that everyone carries opens the way for this kind of intrusion.”
“We need much more than just assurances from the Prime Minister”
Perhaps what feeds the rumor mill is the inconsistent communication around the system.
Matthew from Big Brother Watch reported Metro that we need “much more than just assurances from the prime minister” for such a big change that will provide an infrastructure “that future governments could use for all sorts of things”.
He added: “There’s nothing we can do other than public comments from the government. We don’t have wording on the legislation, we don’t know when the hearing will take place.
“As the Prime Minister is proposing something that Britain has opposed for decades and decades, we would like to see more detail and a consistent message.”
But University of Liverpool researcher Alex Hardy, who used to live in Estonia, one of several countries already using digital IDs, said he was more positive about them.
In an article in The Conversation, he said that Estonia saves 2 percent of GDP annually because of reduced bureaucracy.
He added: “Estonia’s case is perhaps the leading example of digital ID in Europe, and is a particularly mature case with more than two decades of success to highlight.
“Possibilities include enhancing the delivery of public services through efficiency.
“The UK could potentially emulate this model. It can minimize the shadow economy (economic activity that is not taxed or controlled by the government). It can also prevent illegal work and tax evasion, prevent false benefit claims and speed up interactions with the government.”
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