Digital Identity in the UK: A Rapid Response Study
Rachel Coldicutt OBE, September 2024
Proving who we are is a profoundly human activity.
For some, the words “digital ID” might conjure images of databases and efficiencies, but proving who we are is not just a matter of digital infrastructure and data — it is a fundamental undertaking, and the role of digital ID could both reflect and shape the kind of country we are and will become.
At such a tumultuous time, and after years of political chaos and an erosion of public trust in politics, this Government must ensure trust, social cohesion, and the bonds between people and communities are not further compromised by a desire for digital efficiencies and economic growth.
This report sets out findings from a rapid response study undertaken during summer 2024, drawing together a map of known Government initiatives with the results of nationally representative public polling.
By identifying new segments of the population based on their attitudes to digital ID, it reveals significant social divisions and high levels of concern from younger generations and ethnically diverse communities about the potential impacts of digital ID.
Diagram: Mini-publics identified in the Digital ID research
Most strikingly this research shows:
There is public appetite for a single, voluntary form of ID to make life easier.
There is low trust in big tech and the public have greater confidence in some parts of Government to hold data about them.
There are significant generational divides between older and younger generations: in particular, older respondents are more interested in law and order, while younger people are more committed to balancing fairness and convenience.
Black and Asian people have higher levels of concern than white people about the impact of technologies on freedom and on the potential of digital ID to result in discrimination and exclusion.
Greater efficiency in public services is at the top of Government’s priority list, but this priority is not shared by the general public who want to see other improvements in their daily lives.
Chart: Overall favourability of ID solutions (by age)
Digital ID is a complex issue, touching on many parts of daily life. Having clarity on the details of the Government’s plans is essential because, without it, we cannot know how consequential the impacts will be for everyone in the UK.
Depending on its scope, a digital ID programme could have an impact on everything from everyday leisure activities like going to the cinema, accessing online content, or buying a drink at the pub through to significant life stages such as starting a new job and renting or buying a home. It could be an essential tool at the times we are most vulnerable, such as accessing health care or receiving the benefits and support we are entitled to, or it might be necessary in moments when our identity is critical for safety and justice, such as crossing a border or interacting with law enforcement agencies.
A fair and effective roll-out of such an important set of tools is of interest to all of us: this is not simply a digital policy initiative, but a significant social undertaking. Getting it wrong could deepen social tensions and divisions, exacerbate injustices, and be an inefficient use of public funds.
Findings from this survey suggest that the current Government strategies are pointing in a different direction to public interest. As such, we are calling for:
Improved transparency and governance, in the shape of a Cross-Department Digital ID Strategy, that should be subject to scrutiny by the Public Accounts Committee, and the appointment of a Digital ID Minister in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, tasked with building relationships with civil society and taking accountability for the multiple and overlapping social and community impacts of digital ID.
Ongoing engagement with public opinion, to ensure Government has a fine-grained understanding of the different demographic and community needs that arise over time.
The creation of a voluntary, government-backed form of identity that addresses public needs, so that more people can confidently use it to prove their identity to private sector entities, including banks, landlords, and retailers.
The rollout of digital ID would be a social, and critical infrastructure, not just a digital, project — and requires care, consideration, and community consultation. We hope the insights of this report provide policymakers with the information required to ensure not just efficiency, but cohesion.
Download
The Digital Identity in the UK report is available to download as a PDF.
To cite use our preferred citation:
Rachel Coldicutt OBE, 2024, Digital Identity in the UK: A Rapid Response Study, Careful Industries
For More Information
If you have questions or would like to explore this research in more detail, Careful Industries would love to talk to you.
Careful Industries is a research organisation based in the UK. Through research and prototyping, we help our clients understand the social impacts of technologies and create new futures. Our sister organisation, Promising Trouble, is a not-for-profit exploring the potential of community technologies. We are available to work on research and innovation projects at the intersection of public policy, technology and ethical approaches to AI.
Credits
Recommended citation:
Rachel Coldicutt, 2024, Digital Identity in the UK: A Rapid Response Study, Careful Industries
Contributor list
Contributors are listed in alphabetical order by surname if multiple people carry out one role.
Conceptualisation: Dominique Barron, Rachel Coldicutt
Writing — drafting: Rachel Coldicutt
Writing — editing: Dr Furaha Asani, Dominique Barron
Desk research and analysis: Dominique Barron, Rachel Coldicutt
Polling: Survation
Data analysis: Rachel Coldicutt, Survation
Visualisation and design: David Marques
Web development: Kim Plowright
Project and operations coordination and management: Rachael Burton and Anna Hamilos
Thanks to IF for helping us understand the landscape of digital identity in the UK.
We have been inspired by the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT) to more equitably and accurately credit the contribution of everyone in our team, including freelancers, to our work.
Funders
Thank you to Reset for support.
Project Partners
Careful Industries is a research organisation based in the UK. Through research and prototyping, we help our clients understand the social impacts of technologies and create new futures. Our sister organisation, Promising Trouble, is a not-for-profit exploring the potential of community technologies.
IF are experts in design, regulation and policy, digital strategy, product and experience design, and technology architecture. They help clients:
Get ahead of the technology and regulatory trends, to develop and design best-in-class solutions that meet organisational priorities too.
Deliver trustworthy digital experiences that meet strategic objectives.
Make the leap to trust.
Survation provide vital insights for brands and organisations wanting to better understand authentic opinion, adding value and credibility to the research we provide to our clients. We are an innovative and creative market researcher and do not believe any single method can always be the right answer to complex client objectives.
WPI Strategy provides strategic advisory services alongside specialist economic and policy research to help its clients navigate today’s fast-changing, complex regulatory and political environments. We have worked with Careful Industries to position this research with public and political audiences.