The United Kingdom's House of Commons will hold a debate on the introduction of a national digital ID card on Monday, December 8, following a UK parliament petition which has gathered almost 3 million signatures. As a bit of background, the UK does not yet have a national ID card, with people relying on passports and driver's licenses.
The closest the country previously got to introducing ID cards was in the 2000s under Tony Blair, but opposition overwhelmed that drive. Now, the government is attempting to bring in a digital ID, but as the petition shows, it is still not a popular idea.
In anticipation of the debate, the Open Rights Group has warned that the government is implementing a digital surveillance infrastructure. It is key to mention that ORG often defaults to the privacy position; there are good arguments on both sides of the debate to introduce or not introduce a digital ID.