Britain introduces mandatory digital IDs scheme

Keir Starmer. Photo: ITV

On September 6, 2025, the United Kingdom introduced a mandatory digital ID scheme for all adult residents of the country. This was announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. According to officials, not having a digital ID will make it impossible to obtain employment in the country.

"Let me be clear: you will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have a digital identity card. It’s that simple," Starmer stated while speaking at the Summit of Progressive World Leaders in London.

The digital documents, named the Brit Card, will become mandatory for proving the right to work by the end of the current parliamentary term, that is, by 2029.

According to government officials, the digital ID will also be required to obtain employment and rent housing. The documents will be stored on citizens’ smartphones using the One Login infrastructure. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy emphasized that “anyone who wants to work in the UK” will need to have a digital ID.

According to official government documents, in the future, the digital ID will be used to access healthcare, social services, tax records, and other public services.

The initiative has met with strong public resistance. A petition against the mandatory digital ID gained over 2 million signatures within just one day. Human rights organization Big Brother Watch warned that the plans would "make us all dependent on a digital pass for everyday life, turning us into a society of total control — which is absolutely contrary to British traditions."

The leader of the Reform UK party, Nigel Farage, expressed his strong opposition to the initiative:

"This will have no impact whatsoever on illegal immigration, but it will become a tool for control and oppression of law-abiding citizens."

Earlier, the UOJ reported that chips would be implanted in the heads of people suffering from depression in the UK.

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