The government’s efforts to introduced digital ID checks have been “rushed, poorly thought out and failed to make a convincing case for the introduction of digital ID,” according to a Home Affairs Committee report.
Although the committee said it welcomed the decision to drop mandatory use of ID cards, it said it feared much damage had been done to consumer confidence in future digital ID initiatives that could be beneficial to the public.
The report, Mandatory to manageable: the government’s plans for digital ID is critical of the attempts by government to rush through digital ID checks, which initially targeted the right to work.
The announcement served only to cause “alarm and uncertainty” the committee said, and given government’s “poor track record of digital transformation” did little to inspire wider confidence for implementation.
The report notes: “A lack of careful preparation and poor communication left the Government unable to respond to questions about how the policy would operate or address widespread concerns about its impact… If future digital ID measures are to succeed they will need to have realistic goals and well-defined objectives from the outset. When the Government announces its final plans it should set out a clear estimate of the expected cost and planned benefits. It must show it has developed a detailed road map for implementation.”
First launched in September 2025, the digital ID scheme was set to be available to all UK citizens and legal residents in the form of a mobile phone app, the government said at the time.
The plans were greeted with widespread opposition from the outset, as the Home Affairs Committee report explains: “No opposition party supported the proposal, and an e-petition calling for the government not to introduce digital ID received 2,984,191 signatures, making it one of the most-signed e-petitions to date.”
The report is also critical of the process leading to the announcements, which it said included no rigorous policy development and no public consultation.
The announcement also served to undermine the work of digital identity providers, a sector the report estimates is worth £2 billion to the UK economy, and its own department’s work on creating a Digital Identity Trust and Attributes Framework and associated certification scheme.
Digital ID organisations said they were “baffled” by efforts to “create a state-run, carbon-copy” of the private sector landscape, and the government had “poisoned the well” and” set back the case for digital ID with the public by a decade or more” given the lack of public support.
Stuart Young of digital ID provider MyIdentity said the report is damning. “This report raises serious questions for the property sector, where consumer costs and friction have continued to increase.
“Until there is greater clarity, direction and confidence in the market, it is fair to question whether the sector should continue investing further significant time, resources and money into digital identity initiatives.”
Digital ID checks have become a mainstay of the the property transaction, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. A consultation on the future use of digital ID services, which the government said would be “easy to use and [unlock] improved public services” is currently underway.
The Home Affairs Committee said there was “theoretical” potential for improving access to public services.
Chair of the committee Dame Karen Bradley said: “The government’s early attempts to set out its plans for digital ID were nothing short of a fiasco. To the public this announcement came out of the blue and made little sense.
“It raised fears of government over-reach into people’s lives and was so poorly thought out that they had few answers to ease these concerns. It is worth bearing in mind that this was a policy direction that was generally well received by the public before they were spooked by the government’s poorly thought out and badly explained plans.
“Ministers have rightly gone back to the drawing board and begun the difficult task of rebuilding trust in what has the potential to be a valuable tool for government. Alongside potential benefits remains the potential for significant changes in the way people access services or interact with the state. That is why government must include voices from across society in deciding the direction of digital ID.
“This will not be a quick-fix solution. As well as learning from early mistakes in the announcement of this strategy, it must be mindful of long-term failures in government delivery of IT delivery. Each element of its future digital ID strategy must have clearly defined aims, a comprehensive plan for delivery and strong safeguards. Any future mistakes might prove fatal for public confidence.”
The government should continue to explore how it can include a broad range of perspectives to influence the direction of digital ID strategies, the report concluded.
