Британцы против цифрового паспорта: более 2,7 миллиона подписей против инициативы правительства Brits Push Back Against Digital Passport: Over 2.7 Million Sign Petition Against Government Initiative

The UK government has announced the launch of a national digital identification system. However, citizens reacted negatively to the initiative, gathering over 2.7 million signatures for a petition against it.

On September 26, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, unveiled a new type of identity card that has been in discussion for several years.

«The digital ID scheme will help combat illegal employment while simplifying access to essential government services for the vast majority of individuals,» the statement read.

The so-called BritCard will be available for free to citizens aged 16 and above, as well as migrants with residency permits.

Digital identification will be mandatory for work eligibility checks by the end of the parliamentary term (July 2029). While citizens will not be required to have this document, it will be necessary for official employment.

The main objective of the initiative is to combat illegal immigration and streamline bureaucratic processes. However, the emphasis in statements has primarily been on the former point.

«[The technology] opens up tremendous opportunities for the UK. It will make illegal work in the country more difficult and enhance the security of our borders. Furthermore, it will provide ordinary citizens with numerous benefits, such as rapid identity verification for accessing key services instead of rummaging through old utility bills,» Starmer noted.

Immediately following the announcement, an official petition against the introduction of digital passports appeared on the Parliament’s website. At the time of writing, it has garnered 2,771,481 signatures.

«[The adoption of this initiative] will be a step toward mass surveillance and digital control; no one should be coerced into registering in a government identity system,» the petition’s authors stated.

The wary public draws comparisons between the government’s idea and the plots of George Orwell’s novels and other dystopian works. The Daily Mail labeled British policy as «East German» and «despotic.»

However, there are supporters of the technology who argue for its safety and convenience.

A few days later, the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology responded to the protest petition. Representatives stated that they would continue to promote digital IDs, reiterating the points about illegal immigration.

The department also reminded the importance of accelerating the UK’s digitization, highlighting the successful experiences of other European countries.

The concept of introducing digital identity cards is not new in the country. Similar plans were proposed by the previous Labour government of Tony Blair but were scrapped before implementation in 2010 due to high costs and concerns about civil liberties.

It is worth noting that on July 1, 2025, the Chinese government launched digital IDs for online usage, transferring the responsibility for citizens’ online identification from private companies to the state.