Digital ID risks turning UK into 'Checkpoint Britain' | Computer Weekly

"The introduction of a mandatory digital ID for every adult in the UK is now clearly an imminent possibility, despite the government having no clear mandate to implement one. Digital ID was not included in the Labour Party manifesto, there has been no public consultation, and Parliament has been given no chance to weigh in, with Downing Street seemingly barreling ahead without so much as waiting for the findings of the Home Affairs Committee's inquiry into digital ID."

"Big Brother Watch recently published a crucial report, 'Checkpoint Britain: the dangers of digital ID and why privacy must be protected,' detailing our extensive concerns over mandatory digital ID proposals. A mandatory digital ID scheme would completely reverse the nature of our relationship with the state, turning Britain into a "papers, please" society and inserting the state into many everyday interactions. Digital ID would usher in a new era of mass surveillance and irreversibly damage our civil liberties."

"Further, digital ID is highly unlikely to deliver on the government's stated promises to tackle illegal immigration. Digital ID simply will not stop small boat crossings or reduce the 'pull factors' that encourage migrants to come to the UK. Those who already evade legal requirements when it comes to employment or accommodation are likely to recede even further into the shadows rather than using digital ID to comply with any 'right to work' or 'right to rent' checks."

Proposals for mandatory digital ID have accelerated, with plans being considered to use digital ID as a tool to combat illegal immigration and an announcement expected at the Labour Party conference. A mandatory digital ID for every adult is now an imminent possibility despite no clear mandate, absence from the manifesto, lack of public consultation, and limited parliamentary scrutiny. Strong concerns exist that a mandatory scheme would reverse citizen-state relations, insert the state into everyday interactions, enable mass surveillance, pose data security risks, and fail to deter irregular immigration, while burdening law-abiding citizens and creating attractive targets for hackers.

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