Draft legislation to help more people prove their identity online
Read the full outcome
Detail of outcome
From January to March 2023, the Cabinet Office consulted on draft regulations to help more people prove who they are online.
The proposed regulations would create a new objective under the Digital Economy Act 2017, allowing controlled data sharing between a number of public bodies already specified in the act and with 4 additional organisations:
- Cabinet Office
- Department for Transport
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Disclosure and Barring Service.
We received 66,233 responses during the consultation period. The government thanks all those who took the time and effort to respond to the consultation, and for the contributions received.
The government is clear that there isn’t public support for national identity cards in the UK and this is not something proposed in, or enabled by, this legislation.
Where responses did engage with the specific consultation questions, they highlighted the wider potential benefits of the data sharing regulations, including to physical health and social wellbeing, and we will make a minor amendment on this basis. The government has also proposed that the draft regulations would come into force 21 days after, rather than the day after, being approved by Parliament.
The UK government intends to take forward legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Original consultation
Consultation description
Consultation on draft Digital Government (Disclosure of Information) (Identity Verification Services) Regulations 2023.
The aim of the draft legislation is to improve how data is shared and used across the public sector. This is to make identity verification online easier and more reliable, and to help the government ensure more people can use digital public services.
How to respond
You can respond to this consultation online.
We cannot accept postal responses to this consultation unless there are exceptional circumstances. If you need to send in a postal submission, contact the Data Sharing Legislation Team on [email protected].
Documents
Updates to this page
Published 4 January 2023Last updated 26 June 2023 + show all updates
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Moved the 'Additional information: GOV.UK One Login' document from the 'original consultation' section to the 'outcome' section.
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Added information about how GOV.UK One Login processes personal data to help people prove who they are, to access services online.
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Published the government response to the consultation and an updated equality impact assessment.
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First published.