Global: UK Digital Identity Leaders Urge New Government to Establish Legal Framework for DIATF

A coalition of trade bodies and leaders within the UK’s digital identity sector has published an open letter calling on the next government to enact legislation that would establish a legal foundation for the existing Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF).

Addressed to the state’s four largest political parties, the letter urges them to commit to introducing legislation that supports the DIATF and digital verification processes.

The future of digital verification became uncertain when the outgoing Conservative government failed to advance the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) (No. 2) Bill before the dissolution of parliament.

Signatories of the letter include prominent figures such as Yoti CEO Robin Tombs, techUK CEO Julian David, Open Identity Exchange (OIX) Chief Identity Strategist Nick Mothershaw, OneID CEO Paula Sussex, Idemia Smart Identity Director David Rennie, City of London Corporation Policy Chairman Chris Hayward, and representatives from accounting software developer Sage, among others.

They highlight a reference in the Digital Identity and Attributes Consultation outcome document estimating that digital identity could add £800 million (roughly US$1 billion) annually to the UK economy. Additionally, a DSIT survey shows that while people desire verifiable identity services, they need accountability and transparency to trust them.

“The DPDI Bill aimed to establish digital identity services aligned with these criteria by providing legal clarity on the definition of a ‘digital identity’ and enabling mechanisms for the secure sharing of consumer and business data needed to drive economic growth,” the group states.

The Bill would have created the legal basis for the DIATF to become a cornerstone of a secure digital economy, facilitating the use of trusted data sources without requiring the government to develop new identity services.

Businesses have already invested in certification to the DIATF and in delivering the digital identity verification products needed by individuals and other enterprises. The value of these investments is now uncertain.

The letter calls on the next government to pass the legislation to address this urgent situation and to establish “an independent and accountable regulator with clearly defined functions, duties, and powers” to oversee the system.

The signatories also emphasize that the UK must keep pace with digital ID developments in the EU, as well as in countries like India and Australia.

Recently, techUK urged the UK Treasury to support the introduction of digital identity in the Kingdom, arguing that it will enhance anti-money laundering (AML) efforts.