UK government selects Deloitte to produce One Login digital identity app

The UK’s Government Digital Service (GDS) has selected professional services firm Deloitte to develop a smartphone app to check individuals’ identities to allow online access to government services via the One Login scheme, reports Public Technology.

Deloitte beat off competition from 20 other bidders for the digital ID contract, including eight large firms and a dozen SMEs, according to the report.

The GDS plan for a single sign on digital identity solution was formalized in summer 2021 when it stated it wanted to make digital ID ‘as trusted as passports’. By October a £4.8 million (US$6.6 million) tender for a common digital identity check app was issued and appeared likely to include a biometric authentication feature.

The native app will utilize NFC to read biometric details from chip-enabled credentials such as passports. NFC was incorporated into the Home Office’s EU Exit: ID Document Check app for EU citizens living in the UK beyond Brexit to register their status. The tender also stipulated that the provider would have to help the government increase its own app development capability.

Last year, reports estimated that implementing Open Login may cost the country around $550 million overall.

The UK does not have a national identity system, but is home to a significant amount of activity in digital ID development. It is working on trust frameworks to allow private providers to issue and accept digital identity products. A bill will soon be on its way through parliament which aims to enforce age verification for accessing adult websites although this move has been both applauded and criticized by campaign groups. The country is also bringing in a controversial requirement to show photo ID when voting, which may in the future extend to digital ID.

Article Topics

access management  |  biometrics  |  Deloitte  |  digital identity  |  document verification  |  face biometrics  |  facial authentication  |  government purchasing  |  mobile app  |  One Login  |  UK