Plans to expand the role of the state may require children as young as 13 to obtain digital ID cards, raising concerns among critics.

The UK government is advocating for the extension of digital IDs to children as young as 13, [1] according to reports from the Daily Mail. The topic of digital IDs has gained significant attention in public discussions since Keir Starmer revealed proposals for their implementation at the end of September. The announcement of a proposed digital ID system in the UK has sparked significant public outcry, leading to a [2] petition that has garnered more than 2 million signatures. “We demand that the UK Government immediately commits to not introducing a digital ID cards. There are reports that this is being looked at. We think this would be a step towards mass surveillance and digital control, and that no one should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system. We oppose the creation of any national ID system. ID cards were scrapped in 2010, in our view for good reason,” said the online petition. 

This initiative is part of [3] a broader strategy aimed at addressing illegal immigration, with the ID intended to form a fundamental element of citizens' rights to reside and work in the country. Referred to as the Britcard, the new identification system must undergo thorough consultation and legislative approval before implementation. Kier Starmer said at a press conference, “On digital ID, let me be really clear we have made a commitment to do whatever we can to stop people arriving illegally in the UK. One of the issues is the ability people have to work in our economy illegally. We have to do something about that we can’t shirk that. We had a strong manifesto commitment to deal with it. The vast majority of people in the UK wants it gripped and we need to therefore take the measures necessary to grip it.” 

Under the proposed regulations, [4] individuals seeking employment in the UK would be required to possess a digital ID. The Prime Minister's Office said in a press release, “Instead, the roll-out will in time make it simpler to apply for services like driving licences, childcare and welfare, while streamlining access to tax records. The new digital ID will be held on people’s phones, just as millions already use the NHS App or contactless mobile payments. There will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it but digital ID will be mandatory as a means of proving your Right to Work.” 

Furthermore, the Daily Mail has reported that the government is considering extending the digital ID requirements to children as young as 13. This development raises concerns that the initiative may expand beyond initial targets to encompass public services as well. Greg Smith [5] a Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire, expressed concerns that the government's plans may carry serious implications for the future. “Digital ID opens up a Pandora’s Box for big state, intrusive government,’ he said. ‘This raises big questions about what they might be used for in the future. Why on earth are they suggesting children need them? Could they be told to produce them to go to school? We risk ending up with a situation where the law-abiding majority face more state interference in their lives while the illegal migrants who this is supposedly aimed at carry on ignoring the rules as they do at the moment.”

Silkie Carlo the [6] director of the Big Brother Watch, stated that digital ID is rapidly [7] becoming “a digital permit required” to navigate people’s daily lives. “Starmer has sold his Orwellian digital ID scheme to the public on the lie that it will only be used to stop illegal working but now the truth, buried in the small print, is becoming clear. We now know that digital IDs could be the backbone of a surveillance state and used for everything from tax and pensions to banking and education. The prospects of enrolling even children into this sprawling biometric system is sinister, unjustified and prompts the chilling question of just what he thinks the ID will be used for in the future. No one voted for this and millions of people who have signed the petition against it are simply being ignored,” said Carlo.