Digital identity key to transformation in public services – new report

Public services in the UK don’t require reform – they need transformation. And digital identity is the enabler of that transformation.

That’s according to the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which recently released a report into how digital identity can revolutionise government services.

It argues that in “a world in which we can set up a bank account in minutes or pay for our shopping with the tap of a phone, the era of slow and cumbersome government services must come to an end. Our current bureaucracy manifests problems further down the line; months-long waits for passports and mounting delays to asylum-claims processing are just two examples of this.”

The report noted that in the UK today, there are more than 190 different ways for people to set up accounts to interact with local and national government services, and 44 different sign-in methods.

“Many people don’t know which personal information about them is held by local and national governments, how it is being used or how secure it is. There is no way for individuals to control how information is shared between different parts of government,” it said.

Instead, the Institute advocates for a digital wallet which will give every individual access to their documents such as their driving licence) and control of their data.

“This digital infrastructure would need to be developed and delivered in close collaboration with the private sector and civil society,” it said.

The wallet could be used to gain access to personal data held in various parts of government. People could also use it to agree to privately and securely share data to produce collective aggregated data sets that could be used to draw insights about all sorts of government functions and services.

“Digital infrastructure designed in this way would empower individuals to securely prove their identity, granularly manage the sharing – or not – of their own data and seamlessly access all their public services. This would be more secure and more convenient: no more putting your passport in the post to renew it or taking your driving licence on a night out to prove your age,” it said.

“At the population level, the report said we would generate insights that could transform public services and move them to a proactive, personalised model. Most of us share a broad range of information with private companies, who use it to become more efficient and to improve their products and services. Taking this approach would bring the same benefits to taxpayers and public-service users.”

Catalyst for change

Commenting in the report, Chris Briggs, SVP of Identity at Mitek, noted that UK digital identity is a complex concept with “many barriers to overcome” despite presenting “boundless opportunities to the British public.”

He said “continual delays in trust frameworks and legislation have left the UK lagging behind other nations in this space. At the same time, British citizens are suffering from an identity paradox, concerned with how their personal data is used by third parties and government bodies, yet still use big tech platforms and social media that they know could harvest and use their data.

“Enacting legislation that will drive identity-linked functionality and deliver everyday utility for the general public, such as signing documents, proving eligibility and seamless travel, will be the catalyst for change. This will push public and private enterprises to put the right infrastructure in place to support a seamless roll-out.

“We also need to build public trust and buy-in through taking charge of our own identities and using them to achieve beneficial or convenient outcomes. And once we start using digital ID as a currency, we can truly bridge the physical and digital worlds to provide effective and efficient access to benefits and services.”