The UK’s private-sector digital identity ecosystem is facing a crisis of confidence as the government appears to be sidelining its own framework. The Association of Document Verification Providers (ADVP) has issued an open letter to the government, warning that a new, state-run digital ID scheme threatens to “ditch” the Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF).
The DIATF was established to create a competitive market of certified private-sector identity providers (IDPs). However, the government recently announced plans to build its own digital ID, which will be mandatory for right-to-work checks and stored in the state-controlled GOV.UK Wallet app.
This move has been slammed by the ADVP, which represents the majority of the UK’s certified digital verification services. In its letter, the association argues that the government is abandoning its own successful, well-supported legislation. The ADVP warns that this pivot undermines the significant investments made by private companies to comply with the DIATF and builds a system that the public does not trust, citing a recent petition against mandatory digital IDs that has garnered millions of signatures.
The ADVP stated it is “hard to understand why government would now choose to step away from its own successful, well supported legislation towards a direction that feels unclear and less publicly trusted.”
The association is calling for an urgent meeting with the Cabinet Office and has proposed a cross-sector forum to align the government’s plans with the existing private-sector framework, arguing this is the only way to “build shared public understanding and technical alignment.”
The controversy comes amid ongoing challenges for the UK’s digital identity infrastructure. Earlier this year, Gov.uk One Login lost its DIATF certification after its biometric supplier’s accreditation lapsed, and critical security flaws were discovered in the system. Industry groups like the Open Identity Exchange have urged the government to keep One Login focused on public services rather than competing with private sector providers.
Sources: Computer Weekly
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
