Failure to present a BritCard when required may result in denial of employment, housing, or access to certain services. Employers and landlords will be legally obligated to verify status through the system, and failure to do so may result in fines or penalties.
While enforcement details are still emerging, civil liberties groups warn that the scheme could disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Those without smartphones, digital literacy, or stable housing may struggle to access or maintain their digital ID, potentially pushing them further into the margins of society.
Why digital ID? Can’t they just make a physical ID like every country?
it’s much easier to watch and control people with digital ID. Like your payroll, bank transfers, groceries, taxes etc.
Because the year is 2025 and we have this thing called “the internet” now. Why would you want a physical ID?
because my phone can be dropped, lost or be outdated and unsupported.
Also, fuck you, there are clowns that can refuse the vaccine that saves peoples lives and ends a pandemic, but I HAVE TO have a fucking smartphone?
I think it should support desktop computers too, but yes it’s not really unreasonable in this day and age to expect working age people to have access to a smartphone or desktop. You need lots of other things to get a job anyway e.g. a bank account, postal address. Those are actually significantly worse requirements.
“Think of the OAPs” is why it took literally decades to get online NHS appointments.
“Think of the OAPs” is why it took literally decades to get online NHS appointments.
nothing stops offering it as an additional service without forcing OAPs to do any of that.
Yeah you’d think, but that was always the reason that was given.
Cheepnis
Can any Brits explain to an American why your country hates privacy? It sounds dystopian over there in the UK.
It’s funny that you say living here sounds like a distopia …
But whattabout all the terrible things someone else does…
Yeah, America has the leading edge on neo-fascism right now, don’t get competitive about it.
Well, let’s see. The UK wants mandatory ID because today you can walk in to an hospital and get $100,000 of free healthcare without even proving you are entitled to it. And you can maybe work without paying taxes. And you move freely and safely anywhere in the country.
In the US, if you do not have proof of citizenship on you at all times (and maybe even if you do), you may be snatched off the street, detained, and perhaps even sent to a foreign prison all without due process of any kind.
Wow, now that I say it out loud, you are right. The UK sounds like a hell-hole.
It’s not a contest.
Well. Not a good one.
Well, let’s see. The UK wants mandatory ID because today you can walk in to an hospital and get $100,000 of free healthcare without even proving you are entitled to it.
the healtcare does not cost that much in the UK, because we/they don’t have idiotic “insurance” companies driving up the prices to make one OTC pill that should cost 30cents cost 400 dollars.
Can any Brits explain to an American why your country hates privacy?
that’s rich coming from the home of the PRISM and the XKeyscore.
Also, the source of Facebook
On this they’re both outliers. Mandatory ID is pretty much the norm.
Living in a place with it… it’s fine. Helps with some things. Definitely not the weird sci-fi tyrannical dystopia Brits and Americans suggest. It mostly depends on what is built around it. It’s not like identification doesn’t exist for fundamental transactions in places without a single consolidated ID document.
And yes, ours has all the accoutrements, including a digital certificate and biometric data, just like your passport does.
Mandatory ID isn’t the problem. The problem is the digital and surveillance aspect.
You sure everybody else agrees with you on that?
Cause it doesn’t sound like it.
To be clear, I do think the UK’s proposal specifically is problematic in that it requires you to own a specific device to support it and that it’s targeting undocumented migrants specifically. That said, the UK has a contentious relationship with the concept of mandatory ID that goes beyond the practical implementation issues or the actual instances of overreach being proposed alongside it.
I mean, for one thing I have no idea why they couldn’t implement this as an ID card like everybody else does.
We already have plenty of disparate digital IDs they can use for that. This won’t change anything.
The Netherlands also has mandatory ID.
in America I can pay someone a handful of grain and gain access to every piece of data about them.
So England has adopted a Chinese style social credit system, eh?
Why no physical backup?
I like the way US states that are (slowly) rolling out digital IDs.
First, the physical id is not being replaced.
Second, the digital ids only work in small subsets Until it’s rolled out to more areas.
For example, Californias only allows usage for proving you are over 21 (the app shows a Boolean flag to the person checking your id so it’s actually MORE private) or at select airports for domestic flights.
I am of the opinion that we CAN have a digital ID with some simple privacy items in place and ALWAY allowing a physical backup or opt out.
All of this “think of the children” digital surveillance could be partially mitigated by allowing OIDC like (stripping out unneeded information) that allows anyone to integrate an age check, Id verification, etc without much information being sent to the other apps.
Of course, this doesn’t solve the government knowing your business, but if physical backups were mandated it would help.
I think these age gates are short sighted and don’t do a lot to solve the issues, as it pushed people “underground”, just like prohibition in the states, and causes more issues.
Edit: just occurred to me, we could use a physical hardware key (like a passkey) to prove your age cryptographically without involving government apis.
You plug the fob into your phone, computer, etc. push the button and you are good…
So… The British Government are choosing to make Alex Jones right. Not a good idea.
Every time I start to forgive labour enough to vote for them next time to keep reform out they find a new reason to make me stay home.
What a fucking fail party.
Edit: I’m fine with mandatory ID for citizens, but with the UKs history of building digital services rolling this out to be digital first will almost certainly be a total disaster
