GDS unveils ‘Gov.UK Verify’ public services identity assurance scheme
From the post:
Gov.UK Verify is designed to overcome concerns about government setting up a central database of citizens’ identities to enable access to online public services – similar criticism led to the demise of the hugely unpopular identity card scheme set up under the Labour government.
Instead, users will register their details with one of several independent identity assurance providers – certified companies which will establish and verify a user’s identity outside government systems. When the user then logs in to a digital public service, the Verify system will electronically “ask” the external third-party provider to confirm the person is who they claim to be.
HELP!
Help me make sure I am reading this story of citizen identity correctly.
Citizens are fearful of their government having a central database of citizens’ identities but are comfortable with commercial firms, regulated by same government, managing those identities?
Do you think citizens of the UK are aware that commercial firms betray their customers to the U.S. government at the drop of a secret subpoena every day?
To say nothing of the failures of commercial firms to protect data from their customers, when they aren’t using that data to directly manipulate their customers.
Strikes me as damned odd that anyone would trust commercial firms more than they would trust the government. Neither one is actually trustworthy.
Am I reading this story correctly?
I first saw this in a tweet by Richard Copley.