Editing Openai/68d939c2-bda4-800e-9458-75c5a750aa3c (section)

==== First, to ground the discussion, here’s what the UK government has announced (and acknowledged) so far: ====
* On 26 September 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a plan for a mandatory digital ID (often nicknamed “BritCard”) to be used for Right to Work checks by the end of the current parliament. Financial Times<ref>{{cite web|title=Financial Times|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-introduce-mandatory-digital-id-cards-2025-09-26/|publisher=Financial Times|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>
* The government states that the ID would be held on people’s mobile phones (via a digital “wallet” or similar) and be used for verifying identity when accessing public services, verifying immigration status, etc. The Guardian<ref>{{cite web|title=The Guardian|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-digital-id-scheme-to-be-rolled-out-across-uk|publisher=The Guardian|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>
* The government claims there will be no requirement for individuals to carry a physical card (i.e., it’s digital, not a card you must have on your person). GOV.UK<ref>{{cite web|title=GOV.UK|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-digital-id-scheme-to-be-rolled-out-across-uk|publisher=gov.uk|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>
* However, to work in the UK, from the government’s proposal, individuals would have to have that digital ID verified (i.e., the “right to work” is tied to it). GOV.UK<ref>{{cite web|title=GOV.UK|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-digital-id-scheme-to-be-rolled-out-across-uk|publisher=gov.uk|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>
* The proposal is still subject to parliamentary approval, public consultation, and details (e.g. data architecture, security, scope) have not yet been fully revealed. AP News<ref>{{cite web|title=AP News|url=https://www.theverge.com/news/786323/uk-digital-id-plans-mandatory-immigration-crackdown|publisher=AP News|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>

So any discussion of “identity cards” must be judged in light of what is actually proposed, not worst-case or conspiratorial extrapolations.