Government responds to digital ID petition after almost three million signatures

The backlash has been intense

The petition in question, which was set up in response to plans for an introduction of digital ID cards, has almost reached three million signatures.

Last Thursday (25 September), Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to introduce new legislation that will require every adult in the UK to own a form of government-issued digital ID.

The proposal is part of a new plan to tackle illegal immigration with the new ID set to make up part of each citizen's right to live and work in the UK.

The new IDs have been dubbed the "Britcard" but will require a full consultation and the passing of legislation before they can be fully rolled out.

Under the new rules, anyone planning to start a new job in the UK must hold a digital ID.

However, in response to these plans, a petition has been set up which has almost reached three million signatures in one week.

This petition hit one million signatures in just one day, and has kept up the pace, hitting two million in just two days.

This has made it one of the fastest growing petitions in recent history, up there with the petition to repeal the Online Safety Act and to call a general election.

The petition reads: "We demand that the UK Government immediately commits to not introducing a digital ID cards. There are reports that this is being looked at.

"We think this would be a step towards mass surveillance and digital control, and that no one should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system. We oppose the creation of any national ID system. ID cards were scrapped in 2010, in our view for good reason."

In response, the government has now responded to the petition on the official petitions website, as it is obliged to.

The displayed statement read: "We will introduce a digital ID within this Parliament to help tackle illegal migration, make accessing government services easier, and enable wider efficiencies. We will consult on details soon."

It added in the full statement: "The Government has announced plans to introduce a digital ID system which is fit for the needs of modern Britain.

"We are committed to making people’s everyday lives easier and more secure, to putting more control in their hands (including over their own data), and to driving growth through harnessing digital technology.

"We also want to learn from countries which have digitised government services for the benefit of their citizens, in line with our manifesto commitment to modernise government."

It ended: "We will launch a public consultation in the coming weeks and work closely with employers, trade unions, civil society groups and other stakeholders, to co-design the scheme and ensure it is as secure and inclusive as possible.

"Following consultation, we will seek to bring forward legislation to underpin this system."

The full, entire and very long statement can be read here.

Last week, a spokesperson said that there will be no requirement for digital IDs to be carried or shown.

The spokesperson said: "There will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it - but digital ID will be mandatory as a means of proving your Right to Work."

The IDs will be integrated into the Gov.uk digital wallet, which will be on people's phones and is being likened to apps like Google Wallet or Apple Pay.

The government thinks that the ID will "stop those with no right to be here from being able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key 'pull factors' for people who come to the UK illegally".

"It will send a clear message that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to work, deterring people from making these dangerous journeys."

The new system is reportedly being implemented as a means of tracking down those working illegally in the UK.