The project of a mandatory digital identity card, the Brit card, pushed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has met with massive opposition. A petition against the initiative has been signed by over 1.5 million citizens who fear mass surveillance and excessive state control over personal data.
According to foreign media reports, the proposal to introduce a mandatory digital identity card, called the Brit card, put forward by the British government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has sparked a wave of resistance. An online petition against the initiative has gathered more than 1.5 million signatures, reflecting citizens’ concerns about threats to privacy and potential mass surveillance.
Under the Labour Party government’s plan, every adult resident of the UK would be required to hold a digital identity card, which would be necessary when applying for a job or renting a flat. The data on the card would be verified in a central database to confirm a citizen’s legal status. The government argues that the Brit card will help curb illegal immigration and combat the grey economy. However, critics, including civil liberties organisations, warn that this system would give the state unprecedented power over personal data, posing a serious threat to privacy.
The leader of the Reform UK party, Nigel Farage, called the initiative an “anti-British card” and stated that it would not solve the problem of illegal immigration but would only increase government control over society. The controversy surrounding the Brit card is deepening divisions in society between promises of migration control and fears of curtailed freedoms. If the project goes ahead, the Brit card will become the first national identity card in the history of the United Kingdom.