Gov.uk to grow while private sector digital ID app adoption flattens: Juniper

Nearly 20 million people in the UK are about to adopt digital identity apps, according to a new forecast from Juniper Research. The introduction of the Gov.uk app is spurring a wave of adoption, according to the report, but will also flatten demand for private-sector digital identity apps, the report says.

The Digital ID & Verification in the UK Market 2025-2029 report argues that with the introduction of the government app, the adoption of private sector digital identity apps will grow by only 9 percent from 2025 to 2029, while the ranks of Gov.uk users will spike 267 percent from 6.9 million this year to 25.5 million.

That will give 45 percent of UK adults a digital identity app, with the presence of both government and private-sector digital identity apps and digital wallets enabling the market to overcome common concerns around privacy.

“In order to retain a role within the digital identity ecosystem, third-party identity providers must seek certification against the government’s trust framework, or they will be bypassed by certified providers and lose out on additional revenue,” says report author Thomas Wilson.

This much is obvious, due to the requirement for right to work, right to rent and background checks to be performed by a Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF) –certified provider. The pressing question is what will happen to the roughly 50 providers who have already invested in certification.

Juniper’s report mentions the use of the Gov.uk app for access to public services, but the government has suggested it will also be usable for private sector, which could put the government into direct competition with those it previously enticed to join the DIATF.

Juniper suggests they re-strategize to focus on ID verification for onboarding to Gov.uk.

The advice implies that the promised market for third-party digital identity providers in the UK is caving in with the introduction of the Gov.uk app.

Another looming use case is age assurance, with enforcement of the Online Harms Act beginning.

A new market report and buyer’s guide from Biometric Update and Goode Intelligence forecasts the UK online biometric age assurance market will grow to 200 million pounds by 2027.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  Gov.UK  |  Juniper Research  |  market report  |  mobile app  |  UK