What will happen to your digital ID if your phone gets stolen?
Experts have warned that the government’s incoming digital IDs could be a target for phone thieves, containing information that could allow them to impersonate you or open a bank account in your name.
They are calling on the government to ensure that security laws put in place to protect people continue to evolve alongside the technology hackers can use to access digital identities.
Digital IDs, dubbed “Brit cards” by some, were announced by Sir Keir Starmer in September and will be available in 2029. The cards, which will be stored on your phone as an app-based system, will include your age and residence status and will be mandatory for everyone living in the UK in a bid to combat illegal immigration.
They will be used for employment checks, access to public services such as social benefits, and verification processes in the private sector.
The plans sparked controversy across the country; many claim these plans would violate civil rights and do little to stop illegal immigrants coming to the UK.
Am I at risk of identity theft or fraud if my phone is stolen?
Nearly 80,000 phones were stolen in London alone last year. James O’Sullivan, founder of smartphone security company Nuke From Orbit, said thieves were already accessing stolen devices to obtain personal information.
“We’re already seeing this play out in real time,” he said Independent. “Criminals who steal phones no longer steal phones for the sake of the phone. Rather, they steal it for the data inside, and as the value and scope of this data increases, the volume and severity of theft incidents also increase.”
The digital identity system will contain information including your name, date of birth, nationality, residence status and photo.
Mr O’Sullivan said this information could be used in many ways. He says a digital ID would be very strong proof of who you are and could be used to commit identity fraud and open bank accounts in your name.
The government said digital credentials can be easily canceled and reissued if your phone is stolen or lost. But Mr O’Sullivan said this was important but “time is of the essence” and thieves will ultimately still have a window in which they can be active.
According to Action Fraud, a large number of stolen phones are used to access bank accounts and money is then transferred or used for purchases. Mr O’Sullivan said thieves often had a few hours to do so before disabling people’s phones and accounts.
Between December 2024 and February 2025, phone theft scams worth £641,208 were reported to the national fraud reporting centre.
Could digital IDs lead to increased phone theft?
Mr O’Sullivan does not think there will be an immediate increase in phone theft, but as more businesses begin to use digital IDs as the preferred method of identification, there will be greater financial motivation to obtain them, which could ultimately lead to more theft.
“(The government) will not implement things that have security flaws,” he said. “They will adhere to all best practices at this time.”
However, with the constant development of technology, some risks will also arise and it is necessary to ensure that it continues to keep up with the latest security measures. “We must ensure that we reduce the risk to the public and do not replace existing risks with new ones,” he added.
Aditya Hindocha of device protection provider SquareTrade said the data stored on a single phone has become much more valuable than the device itself.
“Digital identities will only further concentrate this value and make the devices even more attractive to sophisticated criminals,” he continued.
“Protection solutions now need to evolve and go beyond the scope of physical hardware to protect all digital lives. As centralized digital identity systems emerge, they will significantly increase consumer risk profiles and make comprehensive digital protection not only valuable but necessary.”
The UK had the highest rates of phone theft across Europe this summer, accounting for 37 percent of all theft and loss claims, according to SquareTrade.
How secure will digital identities be?
It’s not yet clear exactly what digital identities will look like and what type of encryption will be implemented, but cybersecurity expert Nick Ellison said people can expect them to be stored securely.
He suspects that those most at risk of information being stolen will be people who do not securely protect their data or passwords. “Not everyone applies a Pin code or password to their device, and many people have a habit of doing things like putting other Pin codes and passwords in unprotected notes on their phone,” Mr Ellison said.
“What can lead to this is some kind of lack of understanding or casual nature of protecting (data).”
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology stated that it would not be a problem for phone thieves to access digital identities and added: “Phone thieves will not be able to spend money from your bank card, nor will they be able to access the information in your digital identity.
“We will use the facial recognition technology already on your phone to protect this data.”
By taking security measures and being able to cancel an identity on a stolen device, the government said digital identities will be much more secure than physical documents.
It added that security and privacy will be at the heart of the program and is currently developing details to ensure it follows best practice. The government will launch a public consultation later this year.
