The government has recently published its response to a public consultation on digital identities, which includes the creation of a new interim governing body, the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (ODIA), and the promise of innovative legislation.
With fraud currently hitting record highs, the government’s goal is to make digital identities as secure and trustworthy as a passport or driving license.
To do this, the ODIA will have the power to issue an easily recognised trustmark to certified digital identity organisations, to prove they meet the security and privacy standards needed to handle people’s data in a safe and consistent way.
Proposed legislation also includes the creation of a legal gateway to allow trusted organisations to carry out verification checks against official data held by public bodies to help validate a person’s identity.
The aim is to reduce the amount of personal data shared online, making it harder for fraudsters to obtain and use stolen identities.
Our data protection expert offered this analysis:
In our technology focused world, digital identities is another area in which the law has to sprint to keep up with technology. While it’s great that the government is showing its commitment to unlock the power of data for the benefit of businesses and people across the UK, we’ll only be able to evaluate its true effectiveness once legislation has been passed.
'Businesses will want to take full advantage of the opportunities that digital identities have to offer, so we must keep our fingers crossed that the government is able to implement suitable measures in a timely manner.'
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