UK Launches Digital Veteran card as First Step in national Digital ID Scheme
London – The UK government has begun rolling out a digital veteran card, accessible via the Gov.uk One Login app, marking the initial phase of a broader digital ID scheme. The launch, announced Monday, will serve as a testing ground for the governmentS aspiring plans too digitize official credentials, addressing concerns about security and data privacy that have dogged the project.
The veteran card will function similarly to digital tickets stored in Apple or Google wallets,utilizing encryption and requiring verification through face ID or fingerprint scanning. According to government officials, this method is intended to be more secure than conventional physical identification. A copy of the credential will also be held by the Ministry of Defense, but the government emphasizes that data will remain with individual issuers and within citizens’ apps, avoiding a centralized database and mitigating the risk of a large-scale data breach – a concern previously voiced as creating a “honeypot for hackers.”
Previously, the government had planned to house digital credentials within a “Gov.uk Wallet” app, but will now “transition to talking about [One Login] as the Gov.uk Wallet” as more government-issued ids become available digitally.
The initiative has faced meaningful political opposition. The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and Scottish National Party have all expressed resistance to the digital ID plan. Labor MP Richard Burgon warned the scheme threatens “civil liberties and our data security and [creates] the risk of our data being handed over to US tech giants.”
Minister Kendall addressed these concerns in parliament, stating the government “absolutely will not” relinquish control of the digital ID system to external entities and expects it to be developed by the government’s in-house digital services department. Industry estimates place the setup cost around £1bn.
Kendall also affirmed the system will not track location, spending habits, or social media activity, and that citizens will not be legally required to present the digital ID to law enforcement. These assurances aim to alleviate fears that the system coudl be misused by future governments.
The veteran card launch represents a significant step towards a potentially transformative shift in how UK citizens prove their identity,but its success hinges on addressing ongoing public and political anxieties surrounding data security and potential government overreach.
