The UK government is launching proposals to boost the legal status of digital identities, something it claims will ensure they are trusted as much as physical documents such as passports.
The blueprint suggests the technology could take a number of forms such as a phone app or a web-based service.
The government today argued digital identities could help reduce cases of online fraud because they are much harder for criminals to access and replicate than other types of online personal data such as dates of birth.
Some 220,000 cases of personal data abuse and impersonation were recorded in the UK during 2019, according to govnernment figures.