Sir Keir Starmer faces a huge political battle to get his plans for mandatory digital ID cards across the line. The Prime Minister believes the so-called Brit-Cards will allow verification of a Briton’s right to live and work in the UK and help tackle the small boats crisis.
Reform UK dismissed ID cards as a “cynical ploy” designed to “fool” voters into thinking something is being done about immigration. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch described the plans as a “gimmick that will do nothing to stop the boats”.
Mandatory ID cards in the UK have previously only existed during wartime, but there are a number of countries which have adopted digital ID.
Estonia, Singapore, India, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Nigeria all have some form of digital ID.
Top of the list is Estonia where digital eID cards have been used for two decades, according to Beyond Encryption, which describes the Baltic country’s system as a global benchmark.
Digital ID in Estonia can be used to pay bills, vote and order prescriptions, with biometric checks and blockchain used to keep people’s details secure.
Singapore’s Singpass digital ID links users to more than 2,700 services provided by hundreds of government agencies and business. The Asian city-state stores the data centrally, however, raising concerns around people’s privacy.
Some 97% of citizens use Singpass, which suggests strong public confidence in the system.
Under India‘s Aadhaar system, citizens are assigned a 12-digit number which links their ID to records stored online, with biometric data said to enhance its security.
Unlike Sir Keir’s plan, Aadhaar isn’t mandatory, but there are reported to be 1.3 billion of the cards in use, making India’s digital ID system the world’s most used.
Sweden uses a digital ID system called BankID, which acts like a digital passport to confirm a citizen’s identity.
Almost all adults in Sweden have BankID, which can be used to open bank accounts, file tax returns or book vaccinations.
To qualify for a BankID card you need a Swedish personal identity number, a valid ID document and be a customer at one of the scheme’s participating banks.
Belgium rolled out its digital ID scheme in 2003. By 2020, the Belgian Personal Identity Card Project (BelPIC) had more than 28 million active ID cards.
The country’s scheme includes national ID cards, a Kids-ID card for children under 12 and a card for foreigners.
Denmark operates a digital system, MitID, that allows Danes to manage their banking, taxes and more from a tablet or smartphone.
The Netherlands operates two digital ID schemes: DigiD and eHerkenning. The first allows people to log into government services while the second helps organisations check people are who they say they are.
Nigeria’s digital ID system includes a National Identification Number (NIN), used by about 100 million citizens. Fifty-eight million Nigerians have a Bank Verification Number.
While the above countries operate digital ID systems, challenges still remain over keeping sensitive data secure, ensuring access to the devices needed to use them, digital literacy and public trust.