GB Group and Royal Mail have landed a lucrative place on the Government’s identity verification service, Gov.uk Verify, joining existing suppliers Experian and the Post Office on the nine-strong list.
The companies will all provide identity checking services for consumers accessing government digital services, such as HMRC’s Self-Assessment tax returns.
Under the Government Digital Service-built Gov.uk Verify system, members of the public can pick from the list of nine certified companies the organisation they wish to check and verify their identity. The verification only needs to be done once, in a 15-minute process.
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said: “We are making it easier for everyone to prove their identity online without building a single database or reintroducing an illiberal ID card scheme. Our online verification scheme empowers citizens to select the provider they want to manage and prove their identity.”
The Cabinet Office insists that the personal data entered into the system is not stored centrally, and the identity verification providers cannot use or share personal data without consumers’ permission.
The Government is trying to promote Gov.uk Verify, having confirmed in last week’s Budget that the system would be implemented across central government “following a successful trial”. The ultimate aim is to get between 70% and 80% of people using the scheme.
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