The British government has finally given more details about the proposed digital ID project, directly responding to the 2.76 million naysayers that signed an online petition calling for it to be ditched.
This came a day after controversial spy-tech biz Palantir said it has no intention of helping the government implement the initiative – announced last week by prime minister Keir Starmer but not included in his political party’s manifesto at last year’s general election.
It is for this reason that Louis Mosley, UK boss at Palantir – the grandson of Sir Oswald Mosley – says his employer is not getting involved, despite being mentioned as a potential bidder.
“Digital ID is not one that was tested at the last election. It wasn’t in the manifesto. So we haven’t had a clear resounding public support at the ballot box for its implementation. So it isn’t one for us,” he told The Times
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Following in the footsteps of Estonia and other nations, including China, the UK government wants to introduce a “free” digital ID card for people aged 16 and over – though it is consulting on whether this should start at 13 – to let people access public and private services “seamlessly.” It will “build on” GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK Wallet, we’re told.
“This system will allow people to access government services – such as benefits or tax records – without needing to remember multiple logins or provide physical documents.
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The card, scheduled to be implemented by the end of the current Parliament, means employers will have to check digital ID when going through right-to-work checks, and despite previously saying the card will be mandatory, the government confirmed: “For clarity, it will not be a criminal offence to not hold a digital ID and police will not be able to demand to see a digital ID as part of a ‘stop and search.’
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Big Brother Watch says the national ID system is a “serious threat to civil liberties.”
“Digital ID systems can be uniquely harmful to privacy, equality and civil liberties. They would allow the state to amass vast amounts of personal information about the public in centralised government databases. By linking government records through a unique single identifier, digital ID systems would make it very easy to build up a comprehensive picture of an individual’s life.”
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Source: UK government says digital ID won’t be compulsory – honest • The Register
It also creates a single point of entry for anyone willing to hack the database. Centralised databases are incredibly broken ideas.
Also see: New digital ID will be mandatory to work in the UK. Ausweiss bitte!
And a quick search for “centralised database”
Robin Edgar
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