More than 130,000 people sign petition to stop new digital ID ‘BritCard’ all adults will need to have

The UK government's plans to implement a new digital ID card scheme are already proving to be majorly unpopular with the British public.

Earlier today (25 September), it was revealed that Keir Starmer would be announcing plans to make digital ID cards - dubbed 'BritCards' - a requirement for all adults, as part of Labour's plans to tackle illegal immigration.

However, it didn't take long for the scheme to be universally panned online, with outraged Brits flocking to the parliamentary petitions page to make their feelings known.

At the time of writing, a petition titled 'Do not introduce Digital ID cards' has already been set up, arguing that the introduction of identity cards would lead to 'mass surveillance and digital control'.

"No one should be forced to register with a state-controlled ID system," the petition, which has so far received over 130,000 signatures, reads.

Kier Starmer is expected to make an official announcement tomorrow (Alberto Pezzali - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

As the petition has passed 100,000 signatures, the government will now be expected to debate the topic in parliament as well as issue an official response.

The news has also received a fierce response across social media, as outraged Brits brand the scheme dystopian.

"Digital ID raises serious questions. If they already have national IDs and passports, what’s the real purpose? It looks more like control than solving illegal immigration," wrote one person on X.

"The UK is cooked, bro. Finished. This is Big Brother , and you'll carry it around with you every second of every day," added a second, while a third complained: "So a national insurance card, a UK driving licence & a GB passport is not enough to show Im British?"

Meanwhile, others were also confused about how the system would work for people who didn't own a smartphone, with one person on Facebook asking: "They gonna supply us with brand new iPhone 17s to place the digital ID on then or what!"

"I’m going to a burner phone let’s see if they make apps for a old Nokia brick phone," joked a second.

What are the UK's new digital ID cards?

A mock-up of the Digital ID card (Tony Blair Institute)

The scheme will require anyone starting a new job or looking to rent a home to show the card on a smartphone app. This will then be checked against a central database of people entitled to live and work in the UK.

Starmer floated the idea of Digital ID cards earlier this month, suggesting the system could play an 'important part' in stopping illegal migration.

If implemented, the scheme would be a huge move for the UK, which hasn't had mandatory ID cards since the Second World War.