This September the UK Prime Minister announced plans for a UK digital identity scheme to be implemented by the end of the current parliament.  The digital id app will be freely available to UK citizens. There will be no requirement for it to be carried nor can it be asked for by authorities. But it will be required into order to get work. Employers will be required to check it to prove a Right to Work. Th argument for digital Ids is framed round convenience, streamlining data access: no more hunting around for utility bills.  The digital ID will contain name, data of birth, nationality of residency status and a photo. Privacy will be protected through state-of-the-art encryption and following data protection regulations. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change suggests digital IDs will allow citizens to interact more safely with public and private institutions: “The government should lead on digital ID with transparency and accountability, designing a system that puts citizens first, and is built on fairness, control and convenience. Such a model would build on this reservoir of trust, making digital ID a public good rather than a commercial product.”  And yet over 280,000 have signed a petition against digital IDs.  Big Brother Watch considers Britain will be sleepwalking into a database state.  And Palantir have ruled themselves out of the bidding for digital technology contract. In this talk I will outline the main issues concerning UK digital identity, offer a framework based on the concept of assemblages, territories and mapping the system space and ask what is the role for responsible innovation in the implementation of digital IDs.

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