People left divided by Digital ID as some explain why they prefer it to a physical one

There's still a few years until the divisive Digital IDs are set to officially be launched in the UK but over in Australia, they are already a regular feature.

Prime minister Keir Starmer confirmed in late 2025 that working adults in the UK would soon need to own a BritCard, the first time a mandatory ID card has been introduced since World War Two.

Likely to be utilised in the form of a smartphone app, Brits will be able to show off basic information about them alongside their right to residence and right to work, while it can also be a handy way of keeping your passport or driver's license.

The prime minister said: "For too many years it's been too easy for people to come here for people to come here, slip into the shadow economy and remain here illegally because, frankly, we've been squeamish about saying things that are clearly true."

Starmer said it was a 'simple fact that every nation needs to have control over its borders' in a speech as he laid out his case for the need to have a digital ID.

"This government will make a new free-of-charge digital ID mandatory for the right to work by the end of this parliament," he said.

"You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It's as simple as that."

However, there was soon significant backlash regarding that decision, especially as some people didn't want to feel forced into handing over details which the government likely already has, while others seemed to take issue with the digital side of it, preferring physical copies of their IDs.

However, despite some similar complaints in Australia, a recent video from MP Darren Jones highlighted that plenty of people are fans, although his video was perhaps unlikely to include people slagging it off.

He speaks to a number of people down under who certainly seem to appreciate the ease of having their cards in the place, with several suggesting that it's 'the future' and just the best way of doing things now that technology allows for it.

You can watch his video below:

I’ve been down under asking Aussies what they think about their digital ID. pic.twitter.com/O4TwOmqVCM

— Darren Jones MP (@darrenpjones) April 13, 2026

After much malaise, the British government did indeed confirm that the IDs would become optional rather than mandatory.

A source told The Times: "Stepping back from mandatory-use cases will deflate one of the main points of contention. We do not want to risk there being cases of some 65-year-old in a rural area being barred from working because he hasn’t installed the ID."

But we Brits also do love to complain, so maybe we will all change our minds when the Digital IDs do actually arrive around 2029, and perhaps it will have similar success to Australia's social media ban for teenagers, which many people were also initially against.