UK Deploys IDEMIA’s IDway in Expanded Digital Identity Pilot

IDEMIA will be participating in a new digital identity pilot in the United Kingdom. The trial concerns the British government’s Document Checking Service (DCS), which cross-reference’s someone’s passport information with the information stored in a government database to verify that person’s identity.

In the past, the service was only available to people transacting directly with the UK government. However, the country is now expanding the trial to include select private sector firms. The goal is to use the system to enable secure and discreet digital payments for people making purchases both online and in person.

IDEMIA will be supporting those efforts with its IDway digital identity solution, which links a digital ID to a national identity document like a passport. With IDway, the businesses in the DCS pilot will be able to use the platform to verify a customer’s passport information. To do so, they would first perform a check with the individual’s consent, and the DCS and IDway would return a yes or no response to indicate whether that person’s passport information is legitimate. The check itself could be carried out with a smartphone or a biometric scan, and would not force the customer to disclose any other personal data.

“The UK has a thriving digital economy and we are committed to making it easier for people to prove their identity online without compromising personal information, and for businesses to conduct checks in a safe and secure way,” said the UK’s Digital Infrastructure Secretary, Matt Warman. “This pilot is a significant step forward in our work and will help speed up access to financial services and make sure more people can benefit from the technology.”

“Digital Identity will be at the center of national economic development,” added IDEMIA Public Security & Identity EVP Philippe Barreau. “This pilot project is a major step toward increasing the trustworthiness of digital identities in the market.”

The UK previously partnered with Onfido during a separate identity pilot that looked at the utility of reusable digital IDs in commercial settings. Yoti has also praised the UK government for its willingness to embrace digital identity technologies.

–

March 4, 2021 – by Eric Weiss