eID potential goes far beyond ‘BritCard’ – here’s how the UK can move ahead

By Jarek Sygitowicz, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Authologic

In April of this year, 42 Labour MPs published an open letter calling for the British government to initiate a comprehensive electronic ID program for UK citizens and residents. These eIDs, they claimed, would bolster a trio of priorities central to the current government’s agenda: economic growth, public service reform, and enhanced border security.

The MPs’ collective argument is sound, as are the use cases they suggest in the open letter, from providing patient passports in the public health system to countering tax and labour fraud. Indeed, these are central tenets of other successful eID systems that have been deployed in countries across Europe. However, the latest proposal for a UK eID – dubbed the “Britcard” – which focuses predominantly on countering illegal migration, risks failing to fully realize the  broader potential of the eID vision the UK is ultimately striving to achieve. 

As it stands, there’s no denying that the UK is behind Europe when it comes to eIDs. While “Britcard” is a move in the right direction from a technological point of view, the UK’s eID initiative can’t afford to be tied to one, contentious topic. It needs to think bigger. It’s still possible for the UK to catch up to Europe, but a strategic, coordinated effort is needed. Here are some of the top considerations that I believe will enable the UK to realise its eID vision.

Don’t reinvent the wheel

While every country is taking its own approach to eID adoption, the UK doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel. At this point in eID history, any government can look around and see what works and what doesn’t. There are multiple success stories within Europe for the UK to take cues from. Take Estonia, for example, with its highly interoperable and government-backed eID, or Sweden, which supports a bank-driven solution. In Poland, eID adoption is widespread: 4 in 5 Poles use some form of digital ID. Poland’s government-issued identity wallet, mObywatel, is already being used by a quarter of the population. Besides simple ID verification, the wallet can function as a mobile driving license and enable citizens to locate polling places, check air quality, and prove educational qualifications. Rather than start from scratch, the UK can and should copy and paste some of its European cousins’ basic eID features when bringing its own eIDs to life.

Go broad, not specialized, with use cases

Features that prioritise everyday utility will guarantee rapid adoption and long-term use among residents. In the UK, eIDs are promoted as beneficial to curbing illegal immigration by tamping down off-the-books employment. Although this is accurate, this use case only scratches the surface of eIDs’ potential. The UK has to think bigger than migration, and extend eIDs into the everyday sectors of banking, healthcare, and ecommerce. Widespread usage and trust will be built on the back of the eID’s applicability to people’s everyday lives, and the ease with which they support them.

Remember that UX is king

Adoption lives and dies on the quality of UX. eIDs and associated digital wallets are like any other app when it comes to the relationship between user engagement and adoption. There’s no room for clunky onboarding, inconsistent use cases, or an opaque general interface. It has to be user-friendly from the get-go.

Trial-and-error processes among European countries integrating eIDs have revealed the necessity for simple, fast, and secure integration for both consumers and businesses. Interoperability is particularly important considering the range of solutions and providers already available in the industry. In other words, eIDs have to work seamlessly with bank accounts, alternative national eIDs, and digital identity wallets, or face being dropped in favor of more effective solutions.

Build public-private partnerships

Many of the more successful eID rollouts in Europe have stemmed from close collaboration between government and industry. The British government should do the same, fostering the kind of public-private collaboration that accelerates momentum. A meeting in mid-May between digital ID trade groups and government representatives (including Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle) was a promising indication of intention. But this level of collaboration needs to be sustained as eID plans move ahead.

Public-private partnerships are also critical to a successful communications program during rollout. British businesses currently lack the technical and regulatory roadmaps to prepare for eID integration. Regulated industries that stand to benefit from eID issuance, such as online gambling or banking and payment apps, are in a position to become the biggest promoters of eIDs to their customers. But they will only be able to do this if they themselves are effectively supported to integrate and rollout the eIDs across their platforms.

Treat digital identity as part of national security

With AI transforming the digital landscape, eIDs have become an essential aspect of a robust digital infrastructure. eIDs are not only about seamless digital interactions but have a significant role to play in security. Sophisticated AI-created deepfakes are a new cybersecurity frontier on a public and private level, escalating threats of large- and small-scale fraud and data breaches. Digital infrastructure, border security, and road safety are all in play here. Successful eID adoption could provide the infrastructure to mitigate these growing security threats.

eIDs are nothing less than a matter of national security that also have the potential to be transformative and eminently beneficial to millions of Brits. As such, the British government needs to act both quickly and deliberately before this rare window of opportunity closes.

About the author

Jarek Sygitowicz is co-founder and chief strategy officer at Authologic. 

Article Topics

Authologic  |  BritCard  |  digital ID  |  e-ID  |  UK