UK register of digital identity and attribute services launches in beta

An announcement from the UK government’s Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) says its register of digital identity and attribute services is now in public beta. The register lists trusted digital identity products across the country, in an attempt to make it easier for citizens to find out which firms and services are certified to handle certain tasks. As examples, the government’s release lists specific requirements for things like Right to Work, Right to Rent or Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Yet, in a potential problem for a burgeoning private sector, the register also lists the government’s Gov.uk One Login service – which, following the recent surprise Gov.uk Wallet and mobile driver’s license (mDL) launch, positions the government as a competitor to firms certified to its common standard.

Somewhat ironically, then, the register is also designed to make it easier for service providers to get listed as a certified provider under the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework (DIATF), and to maintain current information about their service. Per the release, the new digital-by-default application process means providers and Conformity Assessment Bodies will be “proactively notified about the status of their applications. ”

The government notes that while the beta release is “ready to operate at scale,” the next step is to move on from building a minimum viable product to a stage of rapid iteration. “For example, we’ll be integrating our new trust mark into the register and we’re looking at ways users can be notified when things on the register change.”

The register includes many familiar names from the biometrics and digital identity sector, such as Yoti, Veridas, Onfido, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Daon and iProov. The Gov.uk One Login service is also listed.

Industry voices have emphasized the importance of commercial viability for the UK’s digital identity scheme, and the introduction of the Gov.uk Wallet and mDL has raised concerns that the private sector is not being given a fair shake.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  certification  |  DIATF certification  |  digital identity  |  Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF)  |  Gov.UK  |  OfDIA  |  UK  |  UK digital ID