"The United Kingdom is introducing a national digital ID scheme in an effort to crack down on illegal migrant workers. A government press release on Friday announced that the digital ID will be stored on mobile devices through the GOV.UK wallet app currently in development, and will be a mandatory requirement for adults to work in Britain by July 2029."
""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," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in the press release. "And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly - rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.""
"The announcement has sparked privacy concerns from civil rights groups, with Big Brother Watch saying the scheme would "fundamentally change the nature of our relationship with the state and turn the UK into a 'papers, please' society." A petition against the introduction of digital ID cards has also attracted more than 830,000 signatures at the time of writing, citing concerns around mass surveillance and digital control."
The UK will introduce a national digital ID stored on mobile devices via the GOV.UK wallet app and require adults to present it to work in Britain by July 2029. The initiative aims to make it harder to work illegally and to speed identity verification for services. The scheme is not finalized and needs parliamentary approval; a public consultation will be launched later this year to gather feedback on delivery. Civil rights groups voiced privacy and surveillance concerns, with Big Brother Watch warning of a 'papers, please' society and a petition exceeding 830,000 signatures. The GOV.UK wallet was initially pitched to digitize driver's licenses and other government documents.
Read at The Verge
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