The United Kingdom is planning to launch a new Gov.uk app that will include a digital wallet to store government documents, including driving licenses.
The plan will save the U.K. £45 billion and promote efficiency, according to a press release.
Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said that the digital wallet “will mean that every letter or identity document you receive from the government could be issued to you virtually.”
“For people who choose to use GOV.UK Wallet, they will find it easier to prove they’re entitled to benefits or check their age when buying alcohol or DIY equipment, with more security and trust than ever before,” Kyle explained. “Crucially, it also opens huge opportunities to make interacting with public services much easier by putting people in control of their own data.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander called the effort a “game changer,” claiming that the move “puts power back in the hands of the people, making everyday interactions faster, easier, and more secure.”
The release notes that all government services will offer digital alternatives by the end of 2027 in accordance with the “blueprint for modern digital government.”
According to the blueprint, the vision for digital government includes deploying AI into public services, incorporating digital leadership in decision-making, and expanding digital and data public infrastructure.
Privacy group Big Brother Watch said the so-called “convenience” of digital ID “becomes a problem when they become mandatory for basic functions.”
“The government should seize the opportunity in the new data bill to create a legal right for people to use non-digital ID to ensure that they stay an option,” legal and policy officer at Big Brother Watch Susannah Copson said.
