A significant change to driving licences is on the horizon, set to affect 50 million UK residents. The newly formed Labour Party government has confirmed its intention to “digitalise” driving licences, making them available on mobile phones in an effort to modernise governmental processes.
A source informed The Times: “This is not about replacing the photocard but giving people the option of having their licence on their phone and allowing them a new way to prove their identity and age. The photocard, be it a provisional or full licence, is the main form of ID used in the UK and this will be an extension of that.”
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, suggested it “may be some time” before these digital licences are recognised abroad, such as when hiring a car. This shift will have implications for those purchasing alcohol, voting, and boarding domestic flights.
Despite the changes, drivers will continue to receive provisional and full photocard driving licences, with the digital version being optional under Labour’s plans, according to reports. The GovU.K. app, created by the Department of Science and Technology, is set to launch this year and will be unveiled by MPs at a central London event next week, reports Birmingham Live.
However, privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch has voiced concerns over digital IDs becoming mandatory for basic functions. .
The proposed digital ID app is anticipated to incorporate advanced, banking-style security features. In an article published in the Sunday Times, former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair advocated for stricter immigration controls: “We need a plan to control immigration. If we don’t have rules, we get prejudices. In office, I believed the best solution was a system of identity so that we know precisely who has a right to be here.”
He also stated that using digital IDs is a forward-thinking move, suggesting that without them, more stringent border controls would be required: “With, again, technology, we should move as the world is moving to digital ID. If not, new border controls will have to be highly effective.”