The government has launched a public consultation as it looks to shape plans around its proposed digital ID.
Among the areas the consultation will explore is the age at which digital ID should be issued, coming on the back of the government’s debates around online safety and restricting websites and social media to those over a certain age.
The new ID would be used for proof of identity for right to work checks for people starting a new job, but the consultation will look at what age it will be available to people from.
And while the Government said its preference was to make it available for those eligible from the age of 16, options to make the minimum age of eligibility 13 or even removing an age limit altogether are also being put forward.
A 13-year-old limit would open the ID to being used for age verification on certain websites as part of the Online Safety Act restrictions, it said.
Lauro Fava, a data protection expert with Pinsent Masons, said the consultation would help drive a solution for age verification issues which have arisen as a result of recent legislative moves.
“With the Online Safety Act, the GDPR and new proposed laws creating a complex web of age-gated requirements, providers of digital services are desperate for a ‘single source of truth’ of users’ age,” he explained.
“By making digital ID accessible from age 13 – or even birth – the government can provide a standardised, legal-grade solution for age verification. This isn’t just about identity; it’s about providing the infrastructure needed to make the internet both functional and compliant for the next generation.”
Alongside age, societal barriers to availability are also being explored within the consultation, along with what levels of data would need to be recorded and stored – with the potential privacy risks that generates, particularly for younger people.
“Implementing digital ID for children is a high-stakes balancing act between robust safeguarding and data minimisation,” warned Fava.
“While a verified ID can shield minors from harmful content, it must not become a tool for invasive surveillance. The ‘gold standard’ for this consultation should be zero-knowledge proofs, where a service can verify a user is ‘under 18’ or ‘over 13’ without ever seeing their actual date of birth.
“To win public trust, the government must prove that protecting children’s safety doesn’t require sacrificing their right to privacy.”
Once the online consultation closes the government will follow up with a ‘people’s panel’, recruited via civic lottery from a host of different backgrounds and from across the UK, which will also help shape the plans.
Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, said the plans were aimed at closing the gap between public services and how the private sector manages digital interactions.
“Supermarkets, banks and shops have all chosen to move their services online because it delivers a better customer experience and value for money, and other countries like Estonia fully digitised public services years ago,” he added.
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