UK Government Plans Universal Digital ID System Sparking Privacy Concerns

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is advancing a controversial plan to implement a mandatory digital ID system for all adults, dubbed the "Brit Card," which would centralize personal data from passports, driving licenses, and NHS records into a single government-issued digital identity accessible via smartphone app or physical card. The government promotes the scheme as a tool to reduce fraud, streamline access to services, and combat illegal migration, with proponents highlighting potential cost savings and modernization benefits. However, critics warn the initiative threatens civil liberties by expanding state surveillance, risking privacy breaches, and potentially excluding vulnerable populations such as the elderly or those without smartphones. Civil rights groups label the plan as Orwellian, fearing it could create a dystopian control grid enabling pervasive monitoring and sanctions against citizens. The proposal revisits Labour's prior attempts at national ID systems and reflects influence from former Prime Minister Tony Blair's vision for digital identity, while raising concerns about "function creep" and the erosion of individual freedoms. Despite governmental assurances that the ID will not serve as a surveillance tool, widespread opposition persists over the implications for privacy and social inclusion.