The Open Identity Exchange (OIX) applauds the announcements that the Minister for Implementation, Oliver Dowden MP, made at last week’s Identity Week 2019 conference regarding the UK government’s continued commitment to digital identity.

The establishment of a dedicated and specialised Digital Identity Unit to drive the use of digital identities across government and within the private sector is a sound move: it is also a step towards creating a “competent authority” to define and guide the growth and adoption of the digital identity market in the UK. OIX is already at the centre of a cross-industry group working to advance digital identity in the areas of interoperability, trust, inclusion and technology. Government is part of this group, as are techUK, TISA and other key trade bodies. As such OIX is the digital identity conduit between the public and private sectors.

OIX has just published a paper exploring how the gap between identity guidelines for government and finance can be bridged. Furthermore, we have just begun a project on the need for standards, trust schemes and trust marks to achieve digital identity interoperability. This new project will also help to answer the question of what the scope of a competent authority for digital identity should be.

OIX will respond with enthusiasm on behalf of its members to the forthcoming consultation the Minster announced, applying its collective expertise to help guide the digital identity market forward in the UK. OIX will also endeavour to assist government in any way it can to rapidly create a new open framework for the supply of certified digital identities to the public sector, services that many of its members are keen to provide.

Don Thibeau

Founder and Board Member, Open Identity Exchange