How can the UK lead the way in digital identity?

In a panel discussion on the future of digital wallets and identity strategies, industry leaders outlined both the opportunities and challenges facing the UK as it looks to become a global leader in the rapidly evolving space.

They were speaking at the recent Think Digital Identity and Cybersecurity for Government event in London (pictured).

“We’re conflating payments with wallets, but what a wallet will be in the future is likely to be much more than just payments,” explained Jim Small, head of identity at Hippo. “It’ll be a secure repository where we can own our own data, our own information, things like verifiable credentials and decentralised identifiers.”

Small pointed to initiatives around the world, from the US tech giants’ digital wallets to the EU’s eIDAS-based ID schemes, as examples of the diverse approaches being taken. However, he emphasised the need for a more centralised, ecosystem-focused framework to drive widespread adoption.

The success of Sweden’s BankID system was highlighted by Jonas Ingelstrom, head of identity at iProov, who noted how it has transformed society by making it “extremely easy to digitise identities.”

Ingelstrom suggested the UK could leverage similar user-centric approaches, potentially using biometrics to replace the need for unique identifiers.

Challenges around interoperability and regulatory clarity

With regulatory clarity, user-centric design, and a focus on high-value use cases, the experts agreed that the UK can emerge as a global leader in digital identity, transforming how citizens interact with both government and businesses.

However, challenges exist around interoperability and regulatory clarity, with David Rennie, director, digital identity market strategy & business development at Idemia, noting the UK’s opportunity to trial some of the standards that are emerging from Europe within its own trust framework.

“We’re now in an interesting place in terms of the trust framework and how that will work in the private sector and how that will establish in law,” said Rennie. “Getting things established in law to begin with is actually a great point.”

Roger Oliviera, co-founder of Ver.iD, emphasised the importance of creating real-world use cases to test and refine digital identity solutions, working across the public and private sectors. “Start testing, start research and start to do something,” he urged the audience.

The panellists agreed that the UK has a chance to shape the future of digital identity, but stressed the need for investment and collaboration between government and industry to realise its potential.

“As long as we’re doing something that creates that ecosystem, and we’re doing it in an inclusive, accessible way to ensure that people can access their ID through non-digital pathways, I think we can do something good,” said Small.