Editorial

Government outlines next steps for digital identity rollout

The government has published more details on governing the future use of digital identities

Posted 2 August 2021 by Christine Horton


The government has today published the second version of its digital identity trust framework.

It is part of plans to make it faster and easier for people to use technology to verify themselves.  The government says hopes the process will be as trusted as using drivers licences or passports.

These latest draft rules for governing the future use of digital identities follow the publication of the first version of the trust framework in February 2021 and a consultation last month.

The government says the framework incorporates extensive feedback from an online survey and government engagement sessions with a range of external organisations.

“Whether someone wants to prove who they are when starting a job, moving house or shopping online, they ought to have the tools to do so quickly and securely,” said Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman.

“We are developing a new digital identity framework so people can confidently verify themselves using modern technology and organisations have the clarity they need to provide these services.

“This will make life easier and safer for people right across the country and lay the building blocks of our future digital economy.”

Updates to digital identity framework

The updated framework details how organisations will become certified, including how the independent assessment will take place. The process will involve bodies accredited by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) completing service audits to assess eligibility.

It offers new guidance on how organisations can work together “to create a consistent approach and deliver a better user experience”, reducing the need for burdensome and repetitive verification processes. It outlines, for example, how organisations should describe data in the same format so other organisations know the method of identity verification used.

The government says it provides clearer definitions for the trust framework’s roles so organisations can better understand which applies to their specific service, depending on how they are managing data.

It has also refined rules on areas such as how to manage digital identity accounts, where detailed operational requirements were removed so they work for a broader range of technologies and support the government’s “tech-neutral approach.”

Applications have also opened for organisations interested in taking part in the testing process, which will involve assessing where their service meets the proposed trust framework rules and providing feedback to the government. This government says this process will prepare organisations for full certification in the future, as well as help it refine the trust framework rules so they work for both people and organisations.

The government aims to bring the framework into law and make it easier and safer for people to use digital services to prove who they are or verify something about themselves.