Government to consult on digital IDs for 13-year-olds

However, civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch branded the scheme “Orwellian” and urged MPs to reject plans.

Director Silkie Carlo said: “The prospects of enrolling even children into this sprawling biometric ID system is sinister, unjustified and prompts the chilling question of just what Starmer’s government think the digital ID will be used for in the future.

“At a time when parents are taking a critical view of whether children should have smartphones, it is shocking that the government is considering enrolling children into this digital ID app.”

The Liberal Democrats said the consultation on offering digital ID to 13-year-olds showed they had been right to warn about “mission creep”.

“It is frankly sinister, unnecessary, and a clear step towards state overreach,” said the party’s science and technology spokesperson Victoria Collins.

During a trip to India this week, Sir Keir praised the country’s far more extensive Aadhaar digital ID system, which includes biometric data, as a “massive success”.

He suggested similar technology could be used in UK banking and public services.

Downing Street later clarified his comments, stating the UK scheme would not necessarily replicate India’s biometric model and would be run by the public sector.

Other countries that already have digital ID systems include Estonia, Denmark and Spain, as well as Canada and Japan.

The European Union is introducing the Digital Identity (eID) Wallet, which all member states will be required to roll out to citizens by the end of 2026.

Digital ID schemes are also being piloted in non-EU countries Norway, Iceland, and Ukraine.