UK gov’t introduces new digital identity verification services bill

The UK government has announced a coming identity verification services bill that will support digital ID products and services from certified providers.

The Digital Information and Smart Data Bill is one of 39 legislative initiatives presented in the King’s Speech on Wednesday which outline plans for the recently elected Labor government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer during the new parliamentary year.

According to the bill, digital verification services will help people prove information about themselves and allow for smoother online transactions by helping with things like moving house, pre-employment checks, and buying age-restricted goods and services. They will also help lessen the burden on businesses by “reducing costs, time and data leakage.”

Certification for digital service providers in the UK is granted based on the Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF). Trade bodies and digital identity providers have called on the new government to cement the DIATF’s legal role.

The government estimates that the economic benefits of secure digital identities are around £600 million (US$778.1 million) per year.

“Digital Verification Services will help people and businesses to make the most of identity-checking technologies with confidence and peace of mind,” the document states.

The Digital Information and Smart Data Bill (DISD) also plans to introduce reforms into data sharing and standards and give the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) stronger powers.

Other goals include offering better digital public services and setting up Smart Data schemes that can help share customers’ data with authorized third-party providers (ATPs). The document, however, lacks details on how the data will be stored, shared and exploited.

The bill also arrives amid debates among the new Labor government on introducing digital identity.

After Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair called on Starmer to consider digital IDs as a solution to controlling irregular migration, the Labor government ruled out the introduction of national ID cards. The position on digital certificates, however, seems still unclear.

UK lawmakers and experts have argued that some form of digital identity is inevitable. However, more persuasion among the public may be necessary.

The Digital Information and Smart Data Bill follows the failure of the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill, which was abandoned in May. That bill would have eliminated the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner Role, which is not addressed in the King’s Speech.

In a survey of public opinion on the DPDI Bill released in February, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology found that concerns are still present over identity fraud and theft as well as government overreach.

Another issue cited by the public is that digital identity services could become mandatory over time and that large companies that are not based in the UK may access their data, trade publication Proactive Investors reports.

Other commentators have been more optimistic about the UK’s digital ID path. Starmer’s government wants closer relations with the European Union than the previous Conservative government led by Rishi Sunak. This may inspire the UK to look at the EU’s digital identity interoperability project more closely, according to Tracey Follows, CEO of consultancy Futuremade.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (DPDI)  |  DIATF certification  |  Digital Information and Smart Data Bill (DISD)  |  identity verification  |  legislation  |  UK