Cabinet Office
Detail of outcome
The digital identity and attributes consultation was published on 19 July 2021 as a route to seek views and feedback on the governments proposed approach to enabling the use of secure and trusted digital identity products in the UK. This response provides an overview and analysis of key findings from the consultation, based on responses received from across the spectrum of likely end users.
Drawing on these responses, the government has set out legislative measures they will seek to introduce when parliamentary time allows. These measures include:
- creating a governance framework to oversee a robust accreditation and certification process by which organisations can prove their adherence to the rules of the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework
- enabling a permissive legal gateway so that trusted private sector organisations can check data held by public bodies for the purpose of identity and eligibility verification
- establishing that digital identities and attributes have the same validity as physical proofs of ID, such as a passport
This government is committed to unlocking the power of data to further enrich all of our lives, as set out in the National Data Strategy. Enabling a digital identity system fit for the UKs growing digital economy without the need for identity cards is one of the ways we can achieve this.
Details of these measures are included in the government response document on this page.
Read more in the press notice.
Also published alongside this government response is a De Minimis Assessment detailing the economic impact digital identities and attributes could bring. Deloitte produced a report in 2020 titled Economic analysis, Measuring the economic benefits of adopting digital identity and is referenced in the De Minimis Assessment. The Deloitte report is available upon request.
Original consultation
Consultation description
Digital identities are an easy way to help us prove who we are without the need for physical documents. They can also help us prove things about us, such as our age or our qualifications.
This consultation asked for views on how the digital identity system should operate, including proposals for a governing body which will be charged with making sure organisations follow government rules on digital identity.
Online authentication, identity and eligibility solutions can increase security, ease of use and accessibility to public services. They are central to making public services more efficient and effective. They will also improve peoples ability to operate confidently in an increasingly digital economy.
The government is committed to realising the benefits of digital identity, without creating ID cards. Earlier tin 2021 the government published a draft of the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework. This set out what rules and standards are needed to protect peoples sensitive identity data when used digitally.
More information can be found in this press release.
This consultation sought views on three key issues:
- the governance system to oversee digital identity and and make sure organisations comply with the rules
- how to allow trusted organisations to make digital checks against authoritative government-held data
- establishing the legal validity of digital identities, so people are confident they are as good as physical documents like passports or bank statements.