Downing Street is planning new digital ID cards for British citizens as Dominic Cummings bids to transform the Government’s use of data despite privacy fears.
People will get an online identity that can be used for daily activities such as proving ones age, registering with a GP and buying properties from a different location.
It comes after issues emerged in identifying people during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as during the self-employment income support scheme.
The government did not have any details on half of the 2.6million who applied for support at the start of the crisis.
Some – such as Tony Blair – called for new digital ID cards to prove their ‘disease status’ as the world relaxed lockdown measures.Downing Street is planning new digital ID cards for British citizens as Dominic Cummings (pictured yesterday) bids to transform the Government’s use of data despite privacy fears
Minister for digital infrastructure Matt Warman told the Times he was excited to ‘work with partners in the private sector’.
Cabinet Office minister Julia Lopez added: ‘There is a need and an expectation for the government to make it easier for people to use digital identities quickly, safely and securely, and we are committed to enabling this.’
But naysayers have said the plans to ‘remove regulatory barriers’ would result in problems over privacy.
Read more: Privacy Reset: UK Readies Digital ID Cards For British Citizens
