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Apologies, Britain is forcing digital ID for all citizens for Internet access. This is also been discussed at the European Parliament level, and there's a signi

Apologies, Britain is forcing digital ID for all citizens for Internet access. This is also been discussed at the European Parliament level, and there's a significant amount of public black lash. That's the fiasco, I should've been more specific.

norman784 1y ago
AFAIK the digital ID will also be required when getting a new job.
- hkt 1y ago
  In the UK's case, ID has been required to get a new job or rent a house for a decade.
  - whywhywhywhy 1y ago
    ok so why the need for the digital one if we already have one
    - ajsnigrutin 1y ago
      Because requiring an ID to register for eg. a facebook account is hard... how do you input your physical card into a computer? There's potential for abuse when taking a photo of it, and as soon as one photo of an ID appears online, everyone can use that. By having people get digital IDs, you can require them to use it when registering for social network accounts, etc., because it's already in their phones and requires just one tap to 'sign' the account with your real identity. Want to complain about a local politician on r/uk on reddit? You'll need a valid UK account to even post there, and it'll be tied to your real name. Want to join a discord? You need UK ID and your real identity tied to it. Organizing a protest? Well, your real name is there, the police will be visiting soon.
    - pjc50 1y ago
      Very good question, isn't it. The point of the policy is to make headlines. Implementation is a messy detail for the future.
    - Nab443 1y ago
      Easier to store more information while preventing any non authorized to access them, like signing keys and biometrics ?
wizzwizz4 1y ago
You're still conflating a few things. The UK government wants to require digital ID for employment, with housing etc to follow. People on HN suspect the plan is to combine that with the Online Safety Act internet identification requirements, but no such plans have been announced as far as I'm aware.
- masfuerte 1y ago
  When Starmer announced digital ID he also talked about the regulation of social media. Sure, nobody has confirmed the plan, but the two things are clearly connected in the prime minister's thinking. On the other hand, according to The Times yesterday the cabinet isn't happy with digital ID. It's as obvious to them as it is to everyone else that digital ID won't make a jot of difference to illegal working. And may well lose them votes.
- octo888 1y ago
  Yes the idea is to get ahead of things you are opposed to instead of waiting for it to be law already, so you can try to prevent or shape it
- graemep 1y ago
  The UK is also shortly going to require all children to have a digital identifier to be used across government services. That also clears a path to a digital ID. The government has also talked about making drivings licences digital (i.e. apps) People suspect a lot more than it being used in conjunction with the OSA. it can be extended in all sorts of ways. Once available it will be used for more and more. It is not necessary for employment and housing as there are already documents that can be checked on the rare occasions people rent housing or get a new job. It is only worth doing if it is something people will use daily. Essentially people will be coerced into carrying a Google or Apple smartphone with the ID app on it.
  - wizzwizz4 1y ago
    > The UK is also shortly going to require all children to have a digital identifier to be used across government services. I hadn't heard about that one. Source?
pjc50 1y ago
In case you missed it, the UK is no longer part of the EU. It is doing this under its own steam, or perhaps that of lobbyists.
- harvey9 1y ago
  The current UK PM campaigned to remain in the EU and I doubt he has ever done anything under his own steam. The lobbyists in this case are led by the Tony Blair Institute - Mr Blair tried to introduce id cards when he was PM.
hopelite 1y ago
I sometimes wonder what people think who previously would have verbally accosted and ridiculed others who warned of this very state of things coming about, being made identifiable online in a country/society where the government has already also rolled out a panopticon of surveillance and clandestine perception and thought control, where privacy does not exist in public either anymore. It doesn’t really matter either way because the tyranny and authoritarian control will descend upon people regardless; but do they at least have some kind of guilt, maybe shame, or even realize they are also guilty, not just in basically helping their own enemy, the people in charge of the government implementing these things? Or do they simply in a somewhat typical narcissistic way just hand wave it away and generously absolve themselves of any guilt and responsibility for the misery they are/will be responsible for? Turns out the “…fools, and even the ambitious…” were also the “…traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely…”. It was a stroke of genius to psychologically and emotionally manipulate and wage war on the minds of the folks who were fools, i.e., the majority in a “democracy” who gleefully voted themselves into a trap under influence of the created reward system that had them getting feedback that told them they are the good people.
- StopDisinfo910 1y ago
  > tyranny and authoritarian control Care to explain how a state providing an official way to allow its citizen to prove they are who they say they are and avoid identity usurpation on the internet is somehow tyrannical and authoritarian? That seems like a valuable public service to me.
graemep 1y ago
I have come across people arguing that it is fine because a lot of European countries have ID cards and its not a problem because "no one is suffering" (to quote one person).

norman784 1y ago

AFAIK the digital ID will also be required when getting a new job.

hkt 1y ago
In the UK's case, ID has been required to get a new job or rent a house for a decade.
- whywhywhywhy 1y ago
  ok so why the need for the digital one if we already have one
  - ajsnigrutin 1y ago
    Because requiring an ID to register for eg. a facebook account is hard... how do you input your physical card into a computer? There's potential for abuse when taking a photo of it, and as soon as one photo of an ID appears online, everyone can use that. By having people get digital IDs, you can require them to use it when registering for social network accounts, etc., because it's already in their phones and requires just one tap to 'sign' the account with your real identity. Want to complain about a local politician on r/uk on reddit? You'll need a valid UK account to even post there, and it'll be tied to your real name. Want to join a discord? You need UK ID and your real identity tied to it. Organizing a protest? Well, your real name is there, the police will be visiting soon.
  - pjc50 1y ago
    Very good question, isn't it. The point of the policy is to make headlines. Implementation is a messy detail for the future.
  - Nab443 1y ago
    Easier to store more information while preventing any non authorized to access them, like signing keys and biometrics ?

wizzwizz4 1y ago

You're still conflating a few things. The UK government wants to require digital ID for employment, with housing etc to follow. People on HN suspect the plan is to combine that with the Online Safety Act internet identification requirements, but no such plans have been announced as far as I'm aware.

masfuerte 1y ago
When Starmer announced digital ID he also talked about the regulation of social media. Sure, nobody has confirmed the plan, but the two things are clearly connected in the prime minister's thinking. On the other hand, according to The Times yesterday the cabinet isn't happy with digital ID. It's as obvious to them as it is to everyone else that digital ID won't make a jot of difference to illegal working. And may well lose them votes.
octo888 1y ago
Yes the idea is to get ahead of things you are opposed to instead of waiting for it to be law already, so you can try to prevent or shape it
graemep 1y ago
The UK is also shortly going to require all children to have a digital identifier to be used across government services. That also clears a path to a digital ID. The government has also talked about making drivings licences digital (i.e. apps) People suspect a lot more than it being used in conjunction with the OSA. it can be extended in all sorts of ways. Once available it will be used for more and more. It is not necessary for employment and housing as there are already documents that can be checked on the rare occasions people rent housing or get a new job. It is only worth doing if it is something people will use daily. Essentially people will be coerced into carrying a Google or Apple smartphone with the ID app on it.
- wizzwizz4 1y ago
  > The UK is also shortly going to require all children to have a digital identifier to be used across government services. I hadn't heard about that one. Source?

pjc50 1y ago

In case you missed it, the UK is no longer part of the EU. It is doing this under its own steam, or perhaps that of lobbyists.

harvey9 1y ago
The current UK PM campaigned to remain in the EU and I doubt he has ever done anything under his own steam. The lobbyists in this case are led by the Tony Blair Institute - Mr Blair tried to introduce id cards when he was PM.

hopelite 1y ago

I sometimes wonder what people think who previously would have verbally accosted and ridiculed others who warned of this very state of things coming about, being made identifiable online in a country/society where the government has already also rolled out a panopticon of surveillance and clandestine perception and thought control, where privacy does not exist in public either anymore. It doesn’t really matter either way because the tyranny and authoritarian control will descend upon people regardless; but do they at least have some kind of guilt, maybe shame, or even realize they are also guilty, not just in basically helping their own enemy, the people in charge of the government implementing these things? Or do they simply in a somewhat typical narcissistic way just hand wave it away and generously absolve themselves of any guilt and responsibility for the misery they are/will be responsible for? Turns out the “…fools, and even the ambitious…” were also the “…traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely…”. It was a stroke of genius to psychologically and emotionally manipulate and wage war on the minds of the folks who were fools, i.e., the majority in a “democracy” who gleefully voted themselves into a trap under influence of the created reward system that had them getting feedback that told them they are the good people.

StopDisinfo910 1y ago
> tyranny and authoritarian control Care to explain how a state providing an official way to allow its citizen to prove they are who they say they are and avoid identity usurpation on the internet is somehow tyrannical and authoritarian? That seems like a valuable public service to me.

graemep 1y ago

I have come across people arguing that it is fine because a lot of European countries have ID cards and its not a problem because "no one is suffering" (to quote one person).