Voices: Readers clash over digital ID cards – from ‘Big Brother state’ fears to ‘making life easier’
Plans to introduce digital ID cards as part of the government’s efforts to tackle illegal migration have sparked sharp debate among Independent readers, dividing opinion almost evenly.A recent poll of our community found 50 per cent in favour of the move, arguing the cards could help reduce benefit fraud, close loopholes exploited by gangs and limit illegal working, which many see as a key “pull factor” behind Channel crossings. Some pointed to systems already in place across Europe, saying the UK was lagging behind in adopting modern safeguards.But 44 per cent opposed the idea, warning it would undermine privacy and civil liberties. Several readers described it as the first step towards a “dystopian nightmare”, forcing ordinary people to prove their identity to go about daily life. They argued that digital IDs would not stop small boat crossings and would instead punish law-abiding citizens.Many comments revealed a deep scepticism about whether the government’s focus on ID cards addresses the real drivers of migration. Others saw it as another example of politicians reaching for headline policies without tackling root causes.Here’s what you had to say:ID cards abroad work well and protect freedomsI’ve lived and worked overseas where ID cards are mandatory and civil liberties seem much better protected than in the UK. We already have a national insurance number and most carry a photo driving licence, or most of the older generation carry a photo bus pass. Of course, those looking to exploit workers who have to accept low cash-in-hand wages will cry foul, but if we truly want to sort the problem out, put effort into processing asylum claims quickly, set up an official route to enter the UK to apply for asylum, and allow them to work whilst their claims are processed, not bottled up in “cages” to act as bait for all the self-styled “patriots”. ifonlyitwastrueID cards make life easierI would like to have an ID card in the UK, not to stop illegal migration but because it would make my life so much easier. Living in Belgium it is compulsory to carry ID and I can use it for everything – healthcare, banking, taxes, travel. It is invaluable. Dealing with banks and government in the UK is so tedious… I have already had to pay twice to prove my ID when buying a house. I have to remember multiple sets of passwords to phone the bank, and on and on. I don’t get why people are so happy to give every aspect of their lives to Google and the like, but not have an ID. ThoughtIsFreeGet involved in the debate a leave a comment below.A right, not an obligationI have had a Portuguese National ID Card since I was a child and really don’t see how I could have done most things without it. It contains my Citizen ID number, my Social Security number, and also my Fiscal number in case I work self-employed or start a company. It’s like everything about you on a single card. It allows me to travel all the EU and EEA without the need for a passport or limitations, even entering or leaving the UK under the EU Withdrawal Agreement. It is a right to have a National ID Card, not an obligation. Basically, I was never forced to have it, nor to renew it, but everything would have been harder without it. CacoNo downsideI honestly do not know what the big deal is about carrying an ID card. I live in Europe and have had one since Brexit was implemented. The only times I’m asked to show it are for legal purposes (registering residence, now also at passport control as I’m not under the EU 90/180 rule), something major at the bank (account change etc.), or things like large purchases or signing a credit agreement. I can’t think of other circumstances when I’ve been asked to present it. The whole scaremongering around the police state ‘tracking you’ with it is frankly a load of blox. Way more convenient than a passport, accepted everywhere in the EU as ID. I don’t see a downside. nicksbNone of their businessUnder no circumstances would I carry an ID card in peacetime. I will strongly defend my Article 8 rights to privacy (Human Rights Act). This is why I first got a VPN and why I use emails from outside the UK. I’m law-abiding and have no criminal record, so why should I, and every other British citizen, be treated as a suspect all the time? The LINOs, first under Blair and now under Starmer, seem to want to track everybody all the time, and it’s none of their business. LadyCrumpsallIssue of trustIf they are simply used to reduce crime and prevent fraud, I have no problem with them. But they could easily be used to monitor movements or track behaviour. And data could be sold to commercial interests. Frankly, there’s now an issue of trust between citizens and government, and many will be unhappy with identity cards for the reasons listed. MusilRemoving hassleStandard ID cards would make it much easier. At the moment everyone asks for something different – usually two forms of ID, each with different lists and requirements. It’s such a hassle. AjamesDigital ID is a tool for controlDigital ID is a solution in search of a problem. Countries that have it are countries like China, Vietnam and North Korea. The reason it has to be digital rather than physical is because everything will be linked – your bank account, your medical records, your ability to travel, what you can and cannot buy. In China it is tied to your “social credit score”. They want to introduce it so they can control you. Your freedom to make choices is the “problem” they want to solve.GaryGlassID cards would help the elderlyMy elderly mother, frail and bed-bound, has neither a driving licence nor a passport. She has no legal ‘photo ID’ should she need to consult a legal professional that requires identification. An ID card would be ideal.MsRuthlessNI numbers are issued at birth. What seems to be suggested is some form of ‘document’ that everyone has to carry so that the Gestapo can make their famous “papers” demand of anyone they fancy. The reality is that we live in a far more dystopian country than imagined by Orwell in his 1984. He hadn’t imagined two-way TVs so small that all citizens could be compelled to carry one with them. The weakness with Big Brother’s technology was that it could only monitor a few people at a time. Today’s AI means that everyone’s activities can be monitored continuously. The modern dictator has no need of ID cards. LordNelson3Who’s to say that the state will not go adrift?Liberty lies in the inefficiency of the state and its bureaucrats. Of course, if the state is largely benevolent then ID cards are not a serious problem, but if the state goes adrift then ID cards pose a severe threat to civil rights simply because the instruments of the state will be more efficient. Who’s to say that the state will not go adrift? We can see an example abroad right now. Do you trust Farage? tohuA retrograde stepI’m vehemently against the idea of introducing digital ID cards for anyone in the UK. In my view, it would be a retrograde step and a huge infringement of our civil rights. Do we really wish to have a “Big Brother” state in this country? In addition, I doubt very much that widespread fraud and illegal migration would be successfully curbed by such draconian measures. In my experience of life, human beings will often find loopholes around any obstacles put in their way. JanetCWhat’s not to like?Many European countries have had them for years without any bother. It saves carrying a lot of information around in various formats. What is not to like about it? And whether it would help with the migration issue is merely coincidental. That should not be the reason to introduce them. 49ninerWe already have enough IDIn my opinion, no. We all have a National Insurance Number (NIC), an NHS Number. Many have a photo card driving licence or another form of photo ID. These are more than enough to prove our identity, in my opinion. DisgustedOfMiddleEnglandID won’t stop fraud or illegal migrationMost fraud involves people being persuaded to transfer money to others, and it’s not really possible to see how any ID system could change that. It’s also really hard to see how such a system could reduce “illegal” migration. The people who give work without checking legal status will no doubt continue to do so. YorkshiremanHandmaid’s Tale trickThe Government wants digital ID cards – ones they can update at will, without even telling you. And of course it would be an everything card: no need for a separate driving licence, or senior citizen’s bus pass. That is all fine until the Government does a Handmaid’s Tale trick and decides to revoke the rights of some group it doesn’t like. It could do that at the touch of a keyboard in Whitehall. It could change your sex, or remove your NHS number, or make you ineligible to vote, or revoke your driving licence. No thank you. RachaelPKeep it physical, not digitalI’m happy to have an ID card as long as it’s a physical card (like my driving licence) because my phone is so old I just couldn’t have an electronic version on it. Some might say update my phone, but as it’s not broken and I can use it to call, I see no need to replace it. Rafpi1964A written constitution would offer protectionThe UK should draw up a written constitution that can only be changed after a general election on the issue, provided there then is a bicameral double two-thirds majority to change it. Enshrine the obligations and rights of the state and of the people in the constitution. That way the rights of the people will be protected and the roll-out of an ID card cannot threaten those rights. Real EuropeanSome of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.The debate isn’t over. 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