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  "path": "/news/digital-id-clause-police-photo-mugshot-facial-recognition-database",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-10T22:11:01.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "Iran sparks Donald Trump fury by laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz",
    "'It's cowardice!' Britain branded a 'cautionary tale' in scathing slapdown over Iran war",
    "Rachel Reeves dismisses using public money to tackle oil price spike: 'Not the solution!'",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nA clause in the Digital ID consultation could allow police to access facial recognition and biometric data held by the Government.\n\nDarren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to delve further into how Britain's Digital ID age could look.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe digitalisation of Government processes will be \"more efficient\" and \"cheaper to run\", he said, adding that it must be \"useful\", \"secure\" and \"for everyone\".\n\nBut the proposal has been polarising both inside and outside of the Chamber.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nSome have questioned whether Digital ID provides a gateway for police to turn ID photos into mugshots.\n\nIn the consultation, it states there is a \"legal basis for police use of facial recognition,\" and that the Government is currently \"reviewing the legal framework for using facial recognition in law enforcement\".\n\nWhen asked about this during his press conference, Mr Jones aimed to reassure the public that Digital ID will not be working in conjunction with the force.\n\n\"The digital ID system that we're building is not a mandatory ID that you need to have available to show to the police or anybody else,\" he said.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n\"If you wish to use it, you can, but you don't have to if you don't want to.\n\n\"So any concerns the public have about how this interfaces with law enforcement, please be reassured that's not what this is about; this is about making customer services easier to access and use across government.\"\n\nEarlier in the press conference, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister claimed the proposed plans could save Britain \"tens of billions of pounds\".\n\n\"There have been estimates already done by Government that says that if we’re able to digitise lots of these customer services, we can save tens and tens of billions of pounds every year.\"\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * Iran sparks Donald Trump fury by laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz\n  * 'It's cowardice!' Britain branded a 'cautionary tale' in scathing slapdown over Iran war\n  * Rachel Reeves dismisses using public money to tackle oil price spike: 'Not the solution!'\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nHe suggested this could \"free up taxpayers’ money\" to spend on \"the front line in the NHS\" or even \"give it back to taxpayers in the years ahead\".\n\nBut not everyone necessarily agrees. Conservative shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said it has simply become a \"costly vanity project\".\n\nAnd Mr Jones himself was unable to provide accurate costings for the project, telling the Commons: \"We do not know the answer\".\n\n\"I look forward to coming back to the House with updated figures after the consultation,\" he added on Tuesday.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe Government also dropped plans to make Digital ID mandatory earlier this year, something that Mr Wood highlighted to MPs.\n\n\"For months his department has insisted that Digital ID was absolutely essential, and until a few weeks ago it had to be mandatory, even for babies,\" he said.\n\n\"There was a time when this was supposed to be the magic bullet to tackle illegal migration.\n\n\"Now, the Cabinet Office seemed to be suggesting it might just help reduce whole time on government call centres.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Buried digital ID clause lets police turn your photo into a mugshot for mass facial recognition database"
}