On October 13, techUK convened key leaders across industry and government to explore what the future holds for Digital Identity, what actions can be taken to drive adoption, and where clarity is most needed.
techUK would like to thank our panelists and attendees for taking the time to join us and making this session productive.
Catch up on highlights here:
Panel 1: Cutting through the noise: aligning policy, industry, and public trust on Digital ID
In light of the UK government’s recent announcement on the introduction of mandatory Digital ID, this opening panel explored what this new phase and era of the Digital ID debate and discussion in the UK could hold. This was chaired by Sue Daley OBE.
Rob Haslingden, Head of Impact Assessment & Engagement Head of Impact Assessment & Engagement Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT)
Nick Mothershaw, CEO, SelectID
Setting the Scene
The panel opened by emphasising the need to cut through confusion and focus on clarity, collaboration, and practical progress. Key points included that the UK is at a key stage in the development of its ecosystem, with the potential to lead globally if purpose and implementation are aligned. A consistent, compelling case for digital ID is needed to resonate with policymakers, the public, and industry. Collaboration between government, civil society, and industry is also essential to build momentum for adoption.
Current state of the Debate
Policy and Market Readiness: The UK has strong digital ID and fintech infrastructure, but international competitors are advancing rapidly. Digital ID can enable economic activity, reduce fraud, and simplify verification for individuals and businesses. Government–industry collaboration can create secure, interoperable frameworks that unlock innovation and trade.
Data as a Driver of Value: Digital ID is a foundation for responsible data exchange, creating value while maintaining user control and consent.
System Design and User Choice: Open standards and multiple trusted providers are essential; centralised models should be avoided.
Public perception, market reaction and building trust
Recent government announcements have done little to dispel public confusion or misconceptions about digital identity. Digital ID is often misunderstood, leading to mistrust, particularly when people prioritise security, support, and simplicity over abstract policy goals. Transparency and specificity are essential: the public must understand what is being built, who can use it, and why.
Panelists emphasised that digital ID doesn’t involve a central database or mass data sharing; rather, it enables individuals to selectively share verified credentials. Ensuring user choice and system interoperability is vital, especially for applications such as right-to-work checks.
Consistent, disciplined messaging is key to tackling misconceptions and building trust. Frequent or unclear announcements erode confidence, and language matters- terms like “mandatory” can alienate digitally excluded groups. Communications should focus on simplicity, user benefit, and inclusion, supported by clear and transparent engagement to encourage understanding and adoption.
Framing the Debate and Narrative
The conversation around digital ID should shift from a narrow focus on compliance to highlighting tangible personal and societal benefits, including convenience, accessibility, economic growth, and citizen empowerment. Business pilots have demonstrated strong value for digital company IDs, particularly in reducing fraud and simplifying compliance processes. Connecting digital ID to relatable, everyday benefits will help the public better understand its real-world value.
Relevant use cases include secure health data sharing, permissioned access for research, and verified data exchange in sectors such as energy and finance.
Public–Private Engagement
A balanced public–private approach is essential to delivering digital identity successfully. Government should focus on governance, standards, and oversight, while the private sector operates wallets, issues credentials, and provides services. This mixed ecosystem ensures transparency, user choice, safety, and trust.
Small and entrepreneurial businesses can act as agile early adopters, demonstrating tangible value quickly, while larger organisations can scale adoption once benefits are proven. Industry can also leverage existing networks—such as banks, insurers, and accounting software providers—to introduce digital company IDs and showcase benefits to SMEs.
Clear guidance, practical playbooks, and coordinated rollout plans will help prevent duplication, accelerate adoption, and maintain momentum. With technology evolving rapidly, timely implementation is critical to avoid losing potential economic and social benefits.
How should policymakers consult and communicate with industry
Consultation must prioritise clarity, simplicity, and relevance. The public often misunderstands digital ID due to inconsistent terminology and speculative consultation questions. Engagement should therefore be based on clear proposals and practical examples rather than abstract policy discussions.
Messaging should use approachable, user-friendly language that connects digital ID to everyday benefits—such as faster access to services, improved security, and reduced fraud. Relatable communication helps prevent politicised debates and strengthens public understanding. While the consultation is ongoing, technology continues to evolve. A faster, more coordinated rollout could accelerate adoption and avoid delays that risk undermining the benefits.
Digital inclusion must be built into both design and consultation. Engagement should involve all segments of society—not only the most vulnerable—to ensure accessibility and equitable participation. Language should avoid negative or exclusionary terms such as “mandatory” and instead emphasise choice, control, and empowerment. Consultation and communication must reflect diverse user needs, ensuring everyone understands how digital ID works, who controls their data, and what benefits it brings.
Key Takeaways
Clarity and simplicity are essential to public trust.
The debate should focus on empowerment and benefits rather than fear or control.
User choice, transparency, and interoperability are non-negotiable.
Unified messaging from government, industry, and civil society is critical.
Digital ID should be presented as a practical, empowering tool that makes everyday life simpler, safer, and more efficient.
Panel 2: Priorities for the Digital ID industry: Where is clarity, certainty and action most needed now and why if we are to move forward?
This session considered where greater clarity and certainty are most needed within the UK’s evolving Digital ID landscape. This includes the role of a long-term strategy and roadmap focused on driving Digital ID adoption the importance of delivering fairness and interoperability between the Trust Framework and GOV.UK Wallet and where new use cases are needed to drive Digital ID adoption, take up and use across sectors and industries.
The panel began by highlighting the transformative potential of smart data for businesses, consumers, and the wider economy. The Data Use and Access Act provides the legal power to establish smart data schemes that enable secure data portability, interoperability, and consent-driven sharing with authorised providers. It also includes complementary legal protections that build on the UK GDPR, giving individuals control over their personal data while enabling practical, real-time use. Operationally, it streamlines compliance, automates verification, and supports real-time decision-making, allowing SMEs faster access to finance.
For consumers, smart data facilitates personalised services, such as budgeting tools and tailored energy tariffs. The UK’s fintech sector has already benefited significantly, with billions raised in private investment, and smart data initiatives have the potential to increase GDP through enhanced productivity and competition. Concrete examples included the property sector, where linking planning data with smart data could simplify conveyancing and mortgage processes, reducing time, cost, and stress for homebuyers.
Open banking as a model demonstrates the potential for GDP growth through increased productivity, competition, and investment. In 2024, UK fintech investment reached £3.6 billion, and smart data initiatives could further accelerate this growth.
Panelists predicted that mainstream adoption of these technologies will occur by 2026, beginning with services such as age verification for alcohol purchasing. Facial age estimation is already being used for around one million checks per day, with AML compliance and government-certified schemes expected to drive broader adoption.
Digital identity was emphasised as a critical enabler for both convenience and security. It enhances the customer experience, improves compliance processes, reduces costs, and supports fraud prevention.
However, panelists warned that digital identity could also become a single point of failure if misused, underscoring the need for public education on safe usage. Collaboration between policymakers, regulators, and industry is essential for intelligence sharing, identifying emerging fraud patterns, and maintaining trust. Use cases discussed included workforce verification, online age estimation, financial transaction monitoring, and right-to-work checks, demonstrating the broad applicability of digital identity in both public and private sectors.
The discussion underscored the importance of a mixed model for digital identity, combining government-issued credentials with private sector wallets. The government’s role is to issue credentials, provide foundational frameworks, and ensure trust and security in citizen services. In contrast, the private sector drives innovation, enables convenient services, and integrates government credentials into applications. This separation allows for agility and scalability, while also ensuring liability and contractual arrangements are clearly defined. Citizens should have choice and control over which digital ID wallets and providers they use, balancing trust, convenience, and privacy.
A central theme was the need for clarity and regulatory certainty. A well-defined roadmap helps build trust among citizens, businesses, and investors, and ensures that innovation in digital identity can flourish. Without clear guidance, businesses may invest in solutions that later become obsolete or non-compliant, slowing adoption. Panelists emphasised that the roadmap should include timelines for the rollout of digital IDs, integration with government and private sector services, and alignment with future regulatory developments.
Closing Messages
The panel concluded by emphasising that digital identity is not merely a technical upgrade, but a societal shift that simplifies and secures everyday life. Collaboration across government, industry, and civil society is essential to ensure adoption, innovation, and public trust. Key takeaways include the need for open-mindedness toward innovation, clear communication of regulatory frameworks, and prioritising fraud prevention and secure, interoperable systems. Ultimately, digital verification should make daily life easier and safer, giving people control over their personal data while supporting economic growth and technological progress.
Digital identities will provide a gateway for citizens and SMEs into the digital economy. techUK members demonstrate the benefits of digital identity to emerging markets, raise their profile as thought leaders, influence policy outcomes, and strengthen their relationships with potential clients and decision-makers. Visit the programme page here.
New techUK Digital ID Report
Following the UK Government’s announcement on the introduction of mandatory digital ID on 26 September, techUK has published a new report outlining a clear roadmap to support the successful and trusted rollout of digital ID across the country.
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Sue leads techUK's Technology and Innovation work.
This includes work programmes on cloud, data protection, data analytics, AI, digital ethics, Digital Identity and Internet of Things as well as emerging and transformative technologies and innovation policy.
In 2025, Sue was honoured with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the Technology Industry in the New Year Honours List.
She has been recognised as one of the most influential people in UK tech by Computer Weekly's UKtech50 Longlist and in 2021 was inducted into the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech Hall of Fame.
A key influencer in driving forward the data agenda in the UK, Sue was co-chair of the UK government's National Data Strategy Forum until July 2024. As well as being recognised in the UK's Big Data 100 and the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries for 2020 Sue has also been shortlisted for the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards and was a judge for the Loebner Prize in AI. In addition to being a regular industry speaker on issues including AI ethics, data protection and cyber security, Sue was recently a judge for the UK Tech 50 and is a regular judge of the annual UK Cloud Awards.
Prior to joining techUK in January 2015 Sue was responsible for Symantec's Government Relations in the UK and Ireland. She has spoken at events including the UK-China Internet Forum in Beijing, UN IGF and European RSA on issues ranging from data usage and privacy, cloud computing and online child safety. Before joining Symantec, Sue was senior policy advisor at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sue has an BA degree on History and American Studies from Leeds University and a Masters Degree on International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Birmingham. Sue is a keen sportswoman and in 2016 achieved a lifelong ambition to swim the English Channel.
Associate Director - Technology and Innovation, techUK
Laura Foster
Associate Director - Technology and Innovation, techUK
Laura is techUK’s Associate Director for Technology and Innovation.
Laura advocates for better emerging technology policy in the UK, including quantum, future of compute technologies, semiconductors, digital ID and more. Working alongside techUK members and UK Government she champions long-term, cohesive, and sustainable investment that will ensure the UK can commercialise future science and technology research. Laura leads a high-performing team at techUK, as well as publishing several reports on these topics herself, and being a regular speaker at events.
Before joining techUK, Laura worked internationally as a conference researcher and producer exploring adoption of emerging technologies. This included being part of the team at London Tech Week.
Laura has a degree in History (BA Hons) from Durham University and is a Cambridge Policy Fellow. Outside of work she loves reading, writing and supporting rugby team St. Helens, where she is from.
Elis joined techUK in December 2023 as a Programme Manager for Tech and Innovation, focusing on Semiconductors and Digital ID.
He previously worked at an advocacy group for tech startups, with a regional focus on Wales. This involved policy research on innovation, skills and access to finance.
Elis has a Degree in History, and a Masters in Politics and International Relations from the University of Winchester, with a focus on the digitalisation and gamification of armed conflicts.
Elis joined techUK in December 2023 as a Programme Manager for Tech and Innovation, focusing on AI, Semiconductors and Digital ID.
He previously worked at an advocacy group for tech startups, with a regional focus on Wales. This involved policy research on innovation, skills and access to finance.
Elis has a Degree in History, and a Masters in Politics and International Relations from the University of Winchester, with a focus on the digitalisation and gamification of armed conflicts.
