Overview
- A House of Commons debate was triggered today by a petition with roughly three million signatures calling for the government to abandon digital ID cards.
- Civil liberties group Big Brother Watch staged a demonstration around Parliament, arguing the IDs would centralise sensitive data and pose privacy and security risks.
- Ministers are targeting a system for all adults by the end of 2029, with right‑to‑work checks expected to require a digital ID for job changes or applications after 2028 if approved.
- Officials say people would not be required to carry or produce an ID, and they highlight ongoing technical work and pilots such as an optional veterans’ digital credential stored on smartphones.
- Campaigners say no draft legislation or detailed safeguards have been published and warn of digital exclusion for people without compatible devices or reliable access.