UK Scraps National Digital ID Scheme, but Digital Identity Infrastructure Keeps Growing

The UK government has scrapped its national digital ID scheme, but much of the underlying technology is still being built. The scheme was originally pitched as a compulsory digital ID card to crack down on illegal working. Privacy campaigners warned of surveillance and government overreach, and ministers later made it voluntary before the plan was dropped entirely.

At a Public Accounts Committee hearing on Monday, officials told MPs that work continues on GOV.UK One Login, digital wallets and a growing set of digital credentials. More than 80 types of documents are earmarked for the government's digital wallet, including proof of benefits, driving test certificates and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates. Sarah Green MP asked whether the infrastructure of digital ID in the public sector was still being pursued. Susannah Storey, DCMS permanent secretary, said One Login already lets people prove who they are online, but that this is not the same as a national digital identity strategy. Rod Latham, DCMS director for cybersecurity and digital identity, said only plans for a new identity product had been scrapped, and that One Login, the Gov Wallet and a digital identity trust framework were already under way.

Officials also confirmed that testing is underway to let digital credentials work with private businesses. This is an overseas story, but it shows how digital identity tools can move from government services into everyday commercial use.