The DUA Bill is just the starting point

As the UK’s Parliament discusses the Data (Use and Access) Bill which will regulate digital verification and digital identity, the government’s priority will be ensuring that people can easily tell that their digital ID products are trustworthy. This means the legislation is just a “starting point,” says Hannah Rutter, CEO of the newly opened Office for Digital Identities and Attributes at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

“In a post-legislative world, we will continue to drive the standards forward,” Rutter said during last week’s Westminster eForum Policy on digital IDs.

The Office plans to continue launching more use cases for digital identification and increasing the use of the UK’s Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF) trust mark, which indicates that a digital ID service has been certified by the government.

As part of this, Rutter’s office has launched the latest 0.4 version of the DIATF, integrating feedback from the public and the industry. The document brings tighter standards, including for biometrics use. The standards should ensure that the biometric technology is inclusive and has the test results to prove that, she says.

The new version of DIATF also boosts transparency on data use as well as requirements on helping users if things go wrong, including losing accounts. Rutter added that the government is working with regulatory bodies, including the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The DUA Bill has also been updated compared to its predecessor, the failed Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill. The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes is developing supplementary codes — rules for specific sectors and use cases. Financial services and age assurance are likely to be among them, according to experts who spoke at the Forum.

“For the government, the size of the prize, if we can get this right, is big,” she says. “If we can get widespread use of these sorts of products across the economy, the value to the UK economy could be as much as £700 million (US$890.9 million) pounds a year, which isn’t a bad return on investment from the government’s point of view.”

Reusable digital IDs bring opportunities

Digital IDs may be a popular topic among UK’s lawmakers but the public is less aware of the initiatives connected to digital verification. This lack of familiarity could hinder the adoption of digital IDs among users, experts said at a Westminster eForum panel on building public trust.

“One thing that we are not doing well is describing what digital identity is – it doesn’t actually mean anything by itself and people are confused, businesses are confused,” says Gareth Narinesingh, market development consultant for UK’s reusable ID marketplace Select ID.

There is also little understanding or awareness of the current approach to trust frameworks, adds Callum Murray, CEO of Amiqus. The company helps conduct identity verification, AML and KYC checks as well as staff vetting for regulated industries.

“Typically, people care so much more about the experience and the actual outcome, not so much about the nuts and bolts of how they may get there,” says Murray.

Digital ID service providers need to ensure that customers trust their digital identities and the various verification methods they offer. Companies, however, are hesitant to introduce steps that could end up being a hurdle for users, such as double-factor verification for creating a digital ID.

“You don’t want to be the first one to do that. You want to be the second one,” says Charlotta Shelbourg, director of product at the governance and compliance unit of online gambling operator Kindred.

Businesses in Sweden have figured out a way around this issue through collaboration. The country’s popular digital identity BankID was created by a group of banks that introduced the product at the same time.

A good digital ID opens a range of possibilities: It enables stores to tell if a customer is of an appropriate age, allows people to enroll themselves into betting self-exclusion registers and it opens the possibility of accurate mortgage affordability assessments for lenders. And it can help achieve some societal good by protecting minors from harmful content and fighting cybercriminals and nefarious influence campaigns.

“There’s been a deluge of investment into this sector as money sees the promise of new opportunity in markets,” says Narinesingh. “But it’s more than just a return on investment for investors, reusable IDs play a role in the safety and security of our people.”

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Data (Use and Access) Bill (DUA)  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF)  |  legislation  |  reusable identity  |  standards  |  UK