Iain Corby, executive director of the Age Verification Providers’ Association, argued that giving a competitive market of multiple digital ID providers can reduce privacy concerns — and would avoid risking taxpayer money on an unproven public alternative.
“If government tries to nationalize digital ID, taxpayers will be left funding development, maintenance, integration and customer support, while innovation — especially the investment needed to keep IDs secure from AI threats — will be stifled,” he said.
The sector has taken heart from Starmer’s move to give the Cabinet Office, a coordinating department at the heart of Whitehall, responsibility for “policy development, legislation and strategic oversight” of plan. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will lead on “technical design, build and delivery.”
David Crack, chair of the Association of Digital Verification Professionals, said it was “unambiguously good news” that the center of government was gripping digital IDs.
“Now the real work begins,” he said — “defining boundaries, building trust, and managing the politics of compulsion versus choice.”
Julie Dawson, chief policy and regulatory officer at Yoti, a U.K. DVS provider, said clearer separation of responsibilities “could actually bring benefits,” with the Cabinet Office taking point on the politically sensitive issue of “mandatory” digital IDs, while DSIT enables wider use through private sector providers.