Editing Openai/68d939c2-bda4-800e-9458-75c5a750aa3c (section)

=== What’s true vs what’s being distorted ===

What is actually proposed (baseline facts)
* Government position: a digital identity credential (phone-based wallet) will be mandatory for Right to Work checks by the end of this Parliament; wider service use may follow. There is no requirement to carry a physical card. GOV.UK<ref>{{cite web|title=GOV.UK|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-digital-id-scheme-to-be-rolled-out-across-uk|publisher=gov.uk|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>

Top recurring false or misleading claims
# “Implants/microchips will be required.” False. Fact-checkers have debunked viral posts claiming compulsory implants to access banking or healthcare. No such plan exists. Reuters<ref>{{cite web|title=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/no-uk-announcement-compulsory-id-implants-contrary-claims-2025-03-06/|publisher=reuters.com|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>
# “It’s a physical ID card you must carry at all times.” Misleading. Several outlets headline “ID cards,” but the government describes a digital credential; “card” language muddies the waters. GOV.UK<ref>{{cite web|title=GOV.UK|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-digital-id-scheme-to-be-rolled-out-across-uk|publisher=gov.uk|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>
# “It instantly becomes a social-credit or total-surveillance system.” Speculative. Civil-liberties risks are legitimate to debate, but claims that such infrastructure already exists or is finalised go beyond published policy. The Guardian<ref>{{cite web|title=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/26/keir-starmers-plan-for-digital-ids-risks-creating-an-enormous-hacking-target|publisher=The Guardian|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>
# “It starts next week / it’s already law.” Premature. Policy intent has been announced; legislation, build and timelines are still being worked through and reported with varying dates. Reuters<ref>{{cite web|title=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-introduce-mandatory-digital-id-cards-2025-09-26/|publisher=reuters.com|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>

How much misinformation? (scale)
* High salience, mixed accuracy. Mainstream and social channels are driving large volumes of posts that conflate a digital Right-to-Work ID with a universal card and, in fringe cases, implants. The presence of multiple fact-checks and rapidly growing petitions indicates material spread and public confusion. Reuters<ref>{{cite web|title=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/no-uk-announcement-compulsory-id-implants-contrary-claims-2025-03-06/|publisher=reuters.com|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>
* Terminology drift (“ID cards” vs “digital ID”) is a key vector of misunderstanding, amplified by headlines and share-graphics. The Guardian<ref>{{cite web|title=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/sep/26/keir-starmers-plan-for-digital-ids-risks-creating-an-enormous-hacking-target|publisher=The Guardian|access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>