Lauro Fava<\/a>, a data protection expert with Pinsent Masons, said the consultation would help drive a solution for age verification issues which have arisen as a result of recent legislative moves.<\/p>\n“With the Online Safety Act, the GDPR and new proposed laws creating a complex web of age-gated requirements, providers of digital services are desperate for a ‘single source of truth’ of users’ age,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy making digital ID accessible from age 13 – or even birth – the government can provide a standardised, legal-grade solution for age verification. This isn’t just about identity; it\u2019s about providing the infrastructure needed to make the internet both functional and compliant for the next generation.”<\/p>\n
Alongside age, societal barriers to availability are also being explored within the consultation, along with what levels of data would need to be recorded and stored \u2013 with the potential privacy risks that generates, particularly for younger people.<\/p>\n
\u201cImplementing digital ID for children is a high-stakes balancing act between robust safeguarding and data minimisation,\u201d warned Fava.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile a verified ID can shield minors from harmful content, it must not become a tool for invasive surveillance. The ‘gold standard’ for this consultation should be zero-knowledge proofs, where a service can verify a user is ‘under 18’ or ‘over 13’ without ever seeing their actual date of birth. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo win public trust, the government must prove that protecting children\u2019s safety doesn\u2019t require sacrificing their right to privacy.”<\/p>\n
Once the online consultation closes the government will follow up with a \u2018people\u2019s panel\u2019, recruited via civic lottery from a host of different backgrounds and from across the UK, which will also help shape the plans.<\/p>\n
Darren Jones, chief secretary to the prime minister, said the plans were aimed at closing the gap between public services and how the private sector manages digital interactions.<\/p>\n
\u201cSupermarkets, banks and shops have all chosen to move their services online because it delivers a better customer experience and value for money, and other countries like Estonia fully digitised public services years ago,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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