Responding to news that the government is abandoning its plans for a mandatory digital ID Big Brother Watch Director Silkie Carlo said: “We welcome Starmer’s reported U-turn on making intrusive, expensive and unnecessary digital IDs mandatory. This is a huge success for Big Brother Watch and the millions of Brits who signed petitions to make this happen.
The case for the government now dropping digital IDs entirely is overwhelming. Taxpayers should not be footing a £1.8bn bill for a digital ID scheme that is frankly pointless.
The proposal to make right to work checks digital could raise similar cybersecurity, fraud and privacy risks that digital IDs carry. The devil will be in the detail but this whole digital ID debacle smacks of incompetence.”
Notes:
- Spokespeople are available for interview. Please direct enquiries or requests for interviews to info@bigbrotherwatch.org.uk or 07730439257
- More detail on Big Brother Watch’s work on digital ID is available on our website
- Read Big Brother Watch’s report on digital ID, Checkpoint Britain: The dangers of digital ID and why privacy must be protected.
- Photos of Big Brother Watch’s “Keir Card” demonstration on the day of the Parliamentary debate triggered by almost 3 million people signing Parliament’s anti-Digital ID petition are attached.