Digital IDs won’t require sex and gender data, government confirms

The UK government has admitted that gender is “not required” to obtain a digital ID, following concerns that it could be used to exclude transgender people.

Labor Secretary Darren Jones on Tuesday (10 March) reinstated the government’s controversial digital ID scheme.

The scheme, originally announced in September, was compulsory for working British nationals, but was quickly scrapped after widespread backlash.

The relaunched program, which is now voluntary, includes several amendments that ministers say will transform it into a “one-stop” app for everything from managing childcare to filing taxes.

A report outlining the changes published on the government’s website confirmed that information about a citizen’s gender or gender identity was “not required” for the digital ID to function.

According to the report, digital ID apps require users to “programmatically” perform a biometric scan, such as a fingerprint or facial scan, to verify whether the ID is theirs. Officials say such tests do not require data on sex or gender, eliminating the need to collect that information.

“For these reasons, and in line with data minimization principles, we do not intend to include sex or gender information in digital IDs,” the report says.

Concerns about outing of transgender people’s digital IDs

Concerns that ID would force the removal of transgender people in the UK were raised after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the plans in September. Many wondered whether the Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), a document that allows transgender people to use their correct gender marker on government documents, would be accepted.

Following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that the Equality Act’s definition of a woman refers only to biology, some citizens have raised concerns that people will be forced to specify the gender they were assigned at birth on their identity cards.

A section of the newly released report on groups with specific needs lists transgender and non-binary people, as well as people who have recently changed their names or have a “record of non-conformity.” Other groups include people in prison, sex workers, and low-income people.

Mr Jones told the BBC that the newly restarted system focuses on ensuring “public services work for you”.

“ID makes that possible, allowing people to log on, prove who they say they are, and access public services faster, easier and more securely.”

He confirmed that the government’s system was still primarily designed to “police” immigration, adding that digital labor rights checks would be mandatory by 2029. However, digital IDs are no longer the only way to complete checks.

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