The government will today call on tech companies to build verification technology to support the roll out of digital identification systems as research suggests billions in returns.
The UK has been working towards the release of the GOV.UK Wallet, a service that allows people in Britain to carry a digital drivers’ licence ahead of the introduction of new laws allowing the technology’s use in the sale of age restricted goods.
The government will begin working with digital identity companies to determine how this technology will function.
There have been significant calls for the UK to expand the use of digital IDs, including from former Labour prime minister Tony Blair, whose think tank has been championing the issue.
As well as making purchases faster and more efficient, the hope is that a wide-scale rollout will see massive economic returns.
Research published today from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) found that the digital ID sector generated £2.1bn in revenue in 2023, supporting over 10,000 jobs.
Addressing digital ID firms, Tech Secretary Peter Kyle is set to announce: “I know how crucial the digital identity sector is for our economy. Businesses like yours generate billions in revenue every single year, supporting over ten thousand jobs across the country.”
“I see GOV.UK Wallet as a catalyst for genuinely transformative change. We have an opportunity to increase the use of secure and trusted digital identities across our economy. To transform slow and outdated processes and make working people’s lives easier and more convenient than ever before.”
Prominent firms in the sector include Yoti, OneID and Onfido, which was acquired last year by US firm Entrust.
Read more: UK must drive forward digital ID to keep pace in global innovation race
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