The government of the United Kingdom will introduce digital driving licenses as part of its plan to use technology to “transform public services.” The digital licenses will be available on a new government app on smartphones and could be used as identification when boarding domestic flights, voting, or purchasing alcohol. The UK government expects to hold all the necessary information on the app.
The digital identity cards will provide a voluntary digital option that ministers believe “will pull the government into the 2020s.” Meanwhile, physical licenses are still expected to be issued in addition to the virtual alternatives. Citing the government spokesperson, BBC News reports that the British government “is committed to using technology to make people’s lives easier and transform public services.”
While the digital licenses could be used at supermarket self-checkouts, there is still a possibility to use virtual licenses in various situations, such as bars or shops, to hide a user’s address. The new digital licenses will debut later this year, and they will be launched as part of a “wallet” in Gov.uk, the new government app.
The wallet will have multi-factor authentication features and biometrics, similar to banking apps, making it suitable only for genuine users. According to government data, the UK had more than 50 million driving license holders by 2023. The government is considering integrating additional services such as tax payments and claims for benefits into the app, and more forms of identification could be added. However, there is no indication of if physical forms of identification would become obsolete.
Digital licenses are already in use across several countries worldwide, including Australia, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and some US states. By 2026, every EU member state will have to introduce at least one form of electronic identification. Nonetheless, the UK’s new system will be a “wallet” inside a government app, and it all depends on the voluntary satisfaction of UK citizens
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