techUK urges next government to ‘recommit’ to digital identity in open letter

Trade association techUK has sent a letter to the four main political parties ahead of tomorrow’s (4 July) General Election calling for the next government to “recommit” to moving forward with digital verification in the UK “as a matter of urgency”.

The letter, which is signed by business leaders and trade bodies from the digital identity industry, has been sent to the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party.

In the letter, techUK said it is disappointed “at the loss of key proposals to support Digital Verification as a result of the dissolution of Parliament and the falling of the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) (No. 2) Bill”.

Dr Ruth Wandhöfer, Global Fintech 50 Influencer

“We call on political parties to recommit to introducing measures to implement legislation that supports the Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF) and move forward with Digital Verification in the UK as a matter of urgency,” the trade association stated.

According to techUK’s letter, the adoption and use of digital ID could add £800 million to the UK economy every year, while the global market for digital ID is estimated to be worth $48.44 billion by 2027.

The UK needs to “keep apace internationally” as other jurisdictions, such as India, Australia and the EU, continue their respective investments in digital identity, the letter stated.

Among the signatories are Julian David, chief executive officer of techUK, Dr Ruth Wandhöfer, Global Fintech 50 Influencer and co-chair of the Open Banking Expo Awards 2024 judging panel, Steve Pannifer, managing director at Consult Hyperion, Paula Sussex, chief executive officer of OneID and Robin Tombs, chief executive officer of Yoti.

In its letter, techUK stated: “The call from signatories of this letter is for the next Government to put in place an actionable plan to implement legislation to introduce the Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework and the proposals that were contained in the DPDI Bill related to Digital Verification as a matter of urgency.

“It will also be important for the next government to ensure that digital ID services are regulated by an independent and accountable regulator with clearly defined functions, duties, and powers to effectively oversee the Digital ID framework, to foster trust and innovation in the digital identity ecosystem.”

Further reading:

NatWest’s Stacey Wilkinson: Banks trusted to offer digital identity

Insight: Is bank ID a myth or reality for the UK?

Lloyds Bank and Yoti unveil free digital identity app in the UK