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Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

reuters.com

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Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#711

Post by ndsipa_pomu »

eesmith wrote: post #689
ascorbic wrote: post #514

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had a very similar journey. I also campaigned against them, rejoiced when the hard drives were shredded after the election. I am now less worried. The devil is in the detail, and the issue last time was in the database rather than the cards. That said, I think since then we have bigger concerns, and if an ID app alleviates some concerns about immigration then I'm fine with it. One big thing that has happened sin…

> and if an ID app alleviates some concerns about immigration then I'm fine with it It won't. The US border is now locked down far tighter than it ever was when I was a kid, and the cries for locking it down even more and violently apprehending suspected violators are at a fever pitch. The UK too - like many countries in the recent rightward lurch - has gone from a country where I can just show up to visit to one whe…

> It's not like Brexit fixed those concerns about immigration

If anything, Brexit has exacerbated control over immigration as we can no longer access shared information with e.g. France.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#712

Post by 3uler »

Alphaeus wrote: post #695
3uler wrote: post #688

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I moved to the Netherlands I was shocked to find out you have to maintain a registered address with the government. The government also decides how many non-family members can register at an address, so in Amsterdam it is common for people to remain registered at there parents while subletting a room in an apartment. You also get a DigiD which very convenient but also terrifying, especially when I walk around my…

Here in New Zealand, you're required to be enrolled to vote, even if you never intend to actually vote. Enrolling requires an address. I imagine it's similar in Australia, where actually voting is required by law. I believe in New Zealand other government agencies aren't allowed to access your data without your consent though.

The Electoral Roll is quite different though

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_roll

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#713

Post by 2wrist »

aftergibson wrote: post #189

A secure, optional digital ID could be useful. But not in today’s UK. Why? Because the state has already shown it can’t be trusted with our data. - Snoopers’ Charter (Investigatory Powers Act 2016): ISPs must keep a year’s worth of records of which websites you visit. More than 40 agencies—from MI5 to the Welsh Ambulance Service—can request it. MI5 has already broken the rules and kept data it shouldn’t have. - Encry…

Hard agree.

Also, is the data secure? Who else has access to that data? Will I be protected if I am in this system?

If they were open about the system, it would be one thing, but they never are. It is funny how this has cropped up gain after the recent pow wow with the yanks and the tech companies.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#715

Post by HeartofCPU »

aftergibson wrote: post #189

A secure, optional digital ID could be useful. But not in today’s UK. Why? Because the state has already shown it can’t be trusted with our data. - Snoopers’ Charter (Investigatory Powers Act 2016): ISPs must keep a year’s worth of records of which websites you visit. More than 40 agencies—from MI5 to the Welsh Ambulance Service—can request it. MI5 has already broken the rules and kept data it shouldn’t have. - Encry…

‚ A secure, optional digital ID could be useful.‘ but never in the hands of a state.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#716

Post by logicchains »

octo888 wrote: post #690
logicchains wrote: post #419

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The worst part is that we no longer have any power to do something about it. That's not true. If a large enough mob of citizens went to the capital, burned down the government building and harassed MPs on the street (and followed them to their homes), as recently happened in Nepal and before that in Bangladesh, things would change very quickly.

In the UK, if this comment could be traced to your ID/address, you'd be arrested likely on terrorism charges.

Not if I was a Labor supporter: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/aug/15/suspended-l...

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#717

Post by whackernews »

padjo wrote: post #104
gmac wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

… except that trying to out-Farage Farage (by being bastards to asylum seekers) will lose them many of their traditional supporters (who are not big on being bastards to asylum seekers) and seems unlikely to gain them many Farage supporters (why would they take some half-hearted populist bastardry when they can have the real deal?). The ‘small boats’ narrative is ludicrously over-reported here. It’s such a clear case…

It’s amazing to see Labour fall for the same trick that the Tories did with Brexit, and also incredible that Farage is still a political force after all the Brexit lies.

What Brexit lies?

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#718

Post by logicchains »

freedomben wrote: post #511
logicchains wrote: post #419

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The worst part is that we no longer have any power to do something about it. That's not true. If a large enough mob of citizens went to the capital, burned down the government building and harassed MPs on the street (and followed them to their homes), as recently happened in Nepal and before that in Bangladesh, things would change very quickly.

With no privacy though, how do you even talk about it with enough people to organize?

The same way people did before the internet? The American revolution didn't require E2E encrypted communication, nor did the French one.

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#719

Post by squidbeak »

mr_toad wrote: post #593
squidbeak wrote: post #551

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the proposal for the UK system right now. Zero Knowledge Proofs. The technical side hasn't been adequately explained to the public.

> This is the proposal for the UK system right now. Is it? Nobody knows if it’s going to be an app, or a virtual card, or a real card. So speculation and rumours are flying. Whoever does comms for the government must be asleep.

You're not correct in saying nobody knows. This has been in discussion for several years, and the standard is outlined in detail on the government website [1], and also discussed in a blog [2].

But I fully agree if you mean it hasn't been adequately explained to the public [3].

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-digital-identi...

[2] https://enablingdigitalidentity.blog.gov.uk/

[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-id-scheme...

Re: Britain to introduce compulsory digital ID for workers

#720

Post by squidbeak »

hardlianotion wrote: post #686
squidbeak wrote: post #551

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the proposal for the UK system right now. Zero Knowledge Proofs. The technical side hasn't been adequately explained to the public.

How do you know that?

There's a full section of the government website dedicated to this subject, and also a recent act of parliament which in part prepared legislation for it, the Data Use and Access Act 2025 [1]. See my other answer in this thread for the links.

The Digital ID scheme isn't new. The only change is from it being optional to mandatory.

[1] https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/18/enacted

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