The Government is introducing a giant digital identity system for all of us to access basic services such as online tax payments and benefits.
This system could give the Government a blank cheque to share the personal information of millions of people between government departments. At the same time, the Government is also cultivating a “digital identity market” of private companies that can perform identity checks online.
Many people find online identity verification useful. We all want easy, safe and private ways to prove who we are in the moments when we really need to. But as the government races forward on digital IDs, one obvious feature is missing:
Your right to choose whether to use digital ID.
Digital identity systems pose serious risks to rights, security and equality. We believe that everyone should be able to access the same services with ease – whether or not they want to prove their identity via digital ID. That is why we’re fighting to give you a choice by putting a “right to use non-digital ID” in law. It would mean that services that require your ID—from the tax office, to estate agents—have to give you a choice whether to prove your identity online or offline.
A right to use non-digital ID is vital to protect privacy and equality in the digital age. If you believe people deserve the legal right to say No2DigitalID, use our template to write to the Government now.
