UK Committee Calls 2025 Digital ID Launch a Fiasco as 3 Million Backed Opposition Petition
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 20
UK Committee Calls 2025 Digital ID Launch a Fiasco as 3 Million Backed Opposition Petition
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 20
A parliamentary Home Affairs Committee said the government's 2025 push for mandatory digital ID for all British adults was "nothing short of a fiasco" and backed the later switch to a voluntary model.
September's plan for compulsory worker ID was reversed within three months after ministers failed to explain it, triggering fears of state overreach and privacy risks instead of building support for digital verification.
3 million people signed a petition against the scheme, while critics including Big Brother Watch warned it could enable mass surveillance and digital control.
March's relaunch recast the smartphone-based ID app as optional and service-focused, with an eight-week consultation and a 100-person panel now feeding into the design.
The committee said digital ID could still help verify age, residency and work rights, but warned adoption will depend on strong privacy, cyber security and the absence of a centralised database.
Will Britain's 'voluntary' digital ID eventually become essential for daily life, creating a new digital divide?
After past IT failures, can the UK's new £210m cyber unit truly secure the nation's digital identities?