UK government wades into private sector territory with mDL, digital wallet

The UK government has thrown the nation’s digital identity ecosystem into confusion with the revelation that the Gov.uk digital wallet and app are intended for use not just with public sector services, but also the private sector use cases the Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework was set up to address.

The Starmer government announced the impending launch of a UK mobile driver’s license this week, with Science Secretary Peter Kyle referring to its validity for age assurance when purchasing alcohol or “DIY equipment.”

But an email sent by the government to “stakeholders” includes a link, shared with Biometric Update, which specifies that the Gov.uk Wallet will store government-issued digital documents for sharing with “organisations, businesses and other parts of government to prove things such as your age, identity, or eligibility for services.”

As legal consultant Richard Oliphant pointed out in a LinkedIn post in response to initial reports of the mDLs launch, this creates “a twin-track approach to digital ID.”

Gov.uk One Login was created as a single sign-on system for government services, while the DIATF sets rules for identity services to be used with the private sector.

The comments responding to Oliphant’s subsequent post make clear the confusion amongst digital ID providers.

The announcement specifies that documents and credentials not issued by the government cannot be stored in the Gov.uk digital wallet.

But the 52 digital identity service providers (IDSPs) that have been certified against the DIATF now find themselves with unexpected competition.

The difference between the lack of clarity in the public announcement and the clearer scope of use outlined in the link emailed to stakeholders only widens the divide between what the government, officially-recognized stakeholders and everyone else knows about what to expect.

“We’re excited by this opportunity to work with DVS providers, and want to work collaboratively on the details of how the Gov.uk Wallet can work alongside the private sector to bring citizens the benefits of digital identity services,” says Government Digital Service Director of Digital Identity Natalie Jones in the email to stakeholders.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  DIATF certification  |  digital ID  |  Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF)  |  digital wallets  |  Gov.UK  |  GOV.UK Wallet  |  Identity Service Providers (IDSP)  |  Richard Oliphant  |  UK digital ID