For years there have been rumours about a national digital ID from the UK government; now it has a name: “BritCard.”
At first glance the proposal looks appealing: a straightforward way to access services, verify identity, and simplify everyday tasks. But once you look closer, the main challenges aren’t technical — they’re about people, trust and how the system would be used.
The most immediate question is: why is this necessary? The government presents BritCard as a tool to streamline right-to-work checks and reduce fraud. Yet it is not clear how this would be a major improvement on the existing mix of passports, driving licences and utility bills that already serve as identity proofs. For most people those documents lie unused for long periods between job changes or moves. Is the modest convenience of a digital ID worth the trade-offs?
The claim that a national digital ID will be difficult to misuse is an attractive selling point, but it comes with the significant drawback of centralising citizens’ identity data in a government-controlled database. The idea that BritCard will end illegal working looks optimistic: such exploitation often occurs in cash-in-hand, off-the-record arrangements that a digital ID is unlikely to reach. Looking at countries in Europe such as Germany, Spain and Belgium — where physical ID cards have long been common — shows that ID systems are not a panacea for fraud or irregular migration.
Those practical concerns are overshadowed by a deeper issue: can people genuinely trust any government to hold a master key to their digital lives? Trust must be earned, and for the current administration that trust is in short supply.
The government has faced accusations ranging from unequal policing to suppressing dissent and repeated sleaze allegations. Controversy around the Online Safety Act — criticised by some as overreaching and as pushing users, including minors, toward less safe services — has heightened fears about state surveillance and data privacy.
This context helps explain why Labour’s poll ratings have been slipping and why the Prime Minister’s net favourability has fallen to new lows.
Public worry about BritCard is intensified by a steady stream of high-profile cyberattacks. When major brands and institutions such as Jaguar Land Rover, M&S and Adidas suffer breaches, and even the personal data of children in incidents like the Kido nursery hack is exposed, official assurances of “secure systems” feel hollow.
Another major concern is accountability. The Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s independent data regulator, has at times appeared reluctant to take robust action against public bodies. If the regulator fails to enforce the rules consistently, it is harder to trust that the system will be properly policed.
Unsurprisingly, opposition to BritCard is growing across the political spectrum — including Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK. While some citizens may adopt a digital ID voluntarily for convenience, any move to make it mandatory to access basic services would likely meet strong resistance.
To have any realistic chance of public acceptance, the government should heed the advice of Peter Chamberlin, who helped build the government’s “One Login” initiative.
“Digital identity can be transformative, speeding up access to services and delivering cost savings,” he says. “But government must prioritise inclusion, be transparent, and embed privacy by design. That will be critical to build the trust needed for public acceptance, uptake and adoption — whether or not the system is mandated.”
Chamberlin’s point is crucial: technology alone will not persuade people to adopt a national ID. The government must demonstrate, not merely assert, that privacy safeguards are built into every step. It must show that the system works for everyone, not only the digitally literate, and reassure citizens that BritCard will not lead to a surveillance state.
The government can spend millions on polished apps and technically secure ID cards, but that investment will be wasted if it cannot convince the public the idea is safe, necessary and trustworthy.
See also: Urgent digital migration could save UK services billions
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