Summit Round-up Digital ID Summit 2024: Half-day

The Baroness began by framing her perspective as an activist, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to share her thoughts and learn. She introduced herself as the chair of a technologically-associated all-party parliamentary group, emphasizing its importance as a platform for cross-party dialogue. 

She expressed a deep fascination with technology's transformative potential and shared a personal anecdote about advocating for technology to aid her disabled son’s learning 40 years ago, highlighting the strides made in disability rights and the use of advanced technology by legislators. 

The Baroness discussed the ubiquity of digital records across various sectors and stressed the need for robust digital systems to manage identity securely. She criticized the lack of sufficient training within law enforcement to combat cybercrime and harmful practices online, such as identity theft and unauthorized use of digital images.  

A secure and trusted digital identity system is key to unlocking economic growth and inclusive public services but this can be difficult to achieve. 

She advocated for public consultation, stronger encryption, decentralized data storage, and ongoing vulnerability monitoring as essential components of any digital ID system. The Baroness called for ethical innovation and collaboration among governance, industry, and civil society to establish global best practices for evolving technologies, particularly in light of the online safety bill. 

She concluded by emphasizing the importance of thoughtful governance and a commitment to ethical approaches in managing technological advancements. 

 

Hannah Rutter, head of the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes at the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology, opened by reflecting on her long-standing efforts to promote digital identity. She emphasized the importance of trusted and secure digital identity services for the UK economy, which is the focus of her team's work. 

She noted that the benefits of digital identity are well understood by many in the audience, but their relevance is growing as reliance on traditional paperwork becomes increasingly impractical. Hannah cited examples of outdated processes, such as requiring printed bank statements when many have transitioned to paperless systems, highlighting the inefficiency and risks associated with excessive data storage. 

In order for the full potential to be realised, wide buy in must be achieved through a system that’s trusted and accountable. 

She advocated for data minimization, stressing that reducing the amount of sensitive personal data collected and stored is not only more efficient but also critical for mitigating cybercrime risks. 

Rutter concluded by reaffirming the need for streamlined, secure, and modern approaches to identity management that benefit both individuals and industries. 

 

We were delighted to be joined by  

-Ellery Shentall Head of Supplementary Codes Development, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 
 
-Andy Thornley, Head of Regulatory Policy, Innovate Finance  
 
-Helene Oger-Zaher, Senior Innovation Manager, Financial Conduct Authority/ Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF)  
 
-Rachel Coldicutt, Executive Director, Careful Trouble (Careful Industries and Promising Trouble)  
 
-Julie Dawson, Chief Policy and Regulatory Officer, Yoti 

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The panel highlighted the importance of aligning policy and public communication to foster trust, transparency, and global competitiveness. Actionable next steps include refining the UK’s policy framework, increasing public engagement, ensuring inclusivity, and embracing international best practices for digital identity systems. 

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Digital Identity Trends 

• The proliferation of digital identities and verification processes is inevitable as global ecosystems embrace digital transformation. 

• Digital identities are deeply integrated with financial services and other sectors, underlining their broad societal impact. 

International Context and Policy 

• Cross-border collaboration, such as initiatives with Agile Nations and Singapore, was identified as crucial for interoperability and learning from models like the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). 

• The UK faces unique challenges, including the absence of a universal identity document, relying instead on proxies like driving licenses and birth registries. 

Challenges and Opportunities 

• Addressing gaps in parity of acceptance for proxy identity documents and ensuring policies accommodate vulnerable groups are pressing needs. 

• The iterative development of the UK Trust Framework has been a strength, but greater alignment with international standards and scalability is required. 

• Policymakers acknowledged the slower-than-expected adoption of digital ID systems. 

• Challenges include managing fraud risks, adapting to emerging technologies, and addressing scalability issues.

Public Trust and Transparency 

• Building public trust and transparency is essential, particularly by addressing misconceptions and engaging vulnerable populations. 

• Public dialogue should focus on educating users about the practical benefits of digital identities, such as reduced paperwork and enhanced convenience. 

Rebranding Digital Identity?

• Rebranding digital identity to avoid historical associations with government-issued ID schemes, such as the abandoned ID card initiative under Tony Blair, was proposed. 

• A rebranding of digital identity was suggested, moving away from potentially negative connotations and towards a user-friendly "digital wallet" concept that emphasizes verification. 

Adoption Challenges 

• Adoption of digital ID systems has been slower than anticipated due to challenges like fraud risks, evolving technologies, and scalability. 

• Policymakers recognized the need for a dynamic, iterative approach to address emerging threats and stakeholder concerns effectively. 

Our Second panel included: 

-Chris Lewis, Head of Solutions, Synectics Solutions  
 
-Frank Joshi, Managing Director, Mvine Ltd  
 
-Adrian Field, Director of Market Development, OneID®  
 
-Chris Tate, CEO, Condatis  
 
-Shelley Langan-Newton, CEO , SQR 

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The discussion concluded with a focus on collaboration between government and industry, education to foster user trust, and innovation to deliver user-centric, privacy-respecting solutions. 

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What use cases are there for Digital ID, and how can we rive adoption? 

• Market and Government Roles: Industry is driving innovation, but government must align with private sector efforts to set standards and enable growth. International models, such as Europe’s digital wallets (eIDAS) offer inspiration. 

• Government and Productivity: Efficiency savings and productivity improvements are strong narratives to drive adoption in government and private sectors. Use cases like HR in universities or securing supply chains in manufacturing highlight measurable benefits. 

• Private Sector Leading Innovation: Businesses are advancing faster than government, which tends to follow private sector initiatives. Metrics around improvement can help bridge this gap. 

• Future applications: Starting with areas like Right to Work, DBS checks, and fraud prevention, digital ID can scale to numerous other use cases. A standard framework for broader applications would enhance adoption and usability. 

• Compelling Use Cases: Examples included cheaper car insurance, faster verification processes in housing (e.g., DBS checks), and reducing administrative burdens in higher education. Panelists highlighted the need for tangible benefits to encourage user adoption. Solutions catering to mobile populations, such as transient workers needing recurring checks like DBS, could simplify processes and create valuable use cases. Emphasizing individual convenience, such as reusing a verified identity multiple times, can expand the market. 

How can we increase trust, inclusivity and privacy. 

• A trust mark, similar to Mastercard or Visa branding, could build consumer confidence in digital identity solutions.  

• Rebranding digital ID as a user-friendly “digital wallet” that prioritizes convenience and user control can mitigate privacy concerns. 

• Balancing privacy and convenience: While many current systems prioritize convenience, they often lack robust privacy protections. A focus on privacy-respecting solutions is necessary. 

• Inclusivity and accessibility: Solutions must be tested with diverse user groups, including visually impaired individuals, to ensure inclusivity. Inclusive technologies can address challenges like bank branch closures, enabling critical access to services for all users. 

• Design for all: Systems must cater to vulnerable and less tech-savvy populations, ensuring security and efficiency for everyone. Challenges like Power of Attorney and usability for elderly individuals highlight the need for human-centered design. 

Challenges to greater adoption

• Business case creation: Organisations hesitate to adopt due to a lack of compelling, tangible use cases. Solutions need to prove they are equal to or better than existing processes. 

• Fragmented frameworks: Discretionary rules and frameworks complicate implementation. A consistent standard is required to streamline decision-making for organisations. 

• Public understanding of digital security is limited, making users vulnerable to scams (e.g., identifying fake Wi-Fi pages). 

• A secure, standardised method for authentication—like push notifications or biometrics—could mitigate human error in recognizing fraud. 

• Public campaigns (e.g., involving media like BBC's "ScamSmart") could raise awareness about digital identity’s role in preventing scams.