This is the question David Crack, our Chairperson, discusses with Alexander Iosad from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
Not whether digital ID is coming — that debate is largely settled.
But what success actually looks like once it arrives.
This conversation took place on the Biometric Update podcast, hosted by Chris Burt and Joel R. McConvey, and we’re grateful to them for creating the space for a thoughtful, open debate. Biometric Update has become a global daily pulse for biometric and digital identity news, and it was the perfect forum to step back from headlines and dig into the harder questions.

A crossroads moment

The UK is standing at a crossroads.
Digital ID is no longer a theoretical policy exercise or a niche technical discussion. It is clearly a direction of travel. What remains unclear is the roadmap.
Who is driving this journey?
Who is navigating the trade-offs along the way?
And who, ultimately, gets to write the Highway Code?
These questions matter because digital identity is not just infrastructure. It shapes trust, access, inclusion, privacy, and power. The decisions made now will echo for decades.

Beyond slogans and silver bullets

In the discussion, David and Alex explore the practical realities of implementation, the political choices that sit beneath technical design, and the long-term vision — or lack of one — for the UK’s approach to digital ID.
There was no attempt to “win” the debate.
Instead, the goal was to understand the different perspectives more clearly, to surface where there is a mismatch and why that lack of alignment exist. Too often, digital ID debates collapse into slogans or false binaries. That helps no one.
Progress depends on sharper questions, not louder certainty.

Shaping what comes next

Public consultations are still ahead, and conversations like this can help shape — and sharpen — them. If digital ID is going to work for people, not just systems, then the debate has to be open, nuanced, and grounded in real-world consequences.
You can listen to the full discussion here: https://lnkd.in/ebCvdHaN

If you want to dig deeper, please click here.