DCMS puts digital ID team on no-deal Brexit

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The Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) have been responsible for the digital identity policy since June 2018. The responsibility was transferred from Government Digital Service (GDS) in June 2018. The policy team is responsible for looking after the UK governments digital ecosystem and work within the private sector.

On 21st January 2018, Computer Weekly reported that a DCMS spokesperson said the department continues “to lead work on digital ID and explore new ways in which people can identify themselves online safely and securely”. 

The spokesperson also added: “As you’d expect, departments across government are currently hard at work preparing to deliver a Brexit that is in our national interest, and we are prioritising our resources accordingly.” 

DCMS are working on an important project to review the Governments identity standards and their interoperability with the private sector and international partners. The project and in particular the collaboration with the private sector is particularly important to drive progression in a national UK digital ID scheme. The government has issued a range of guidelines, associated with identity proofing and authentication. The intention of these is to define what is required for the identity services with the UK government. The guidelines are what support the Gov.UK Verify scheme.

The country would struggle to argue that Digital ID is more important than preparation for a no-deal Brexit, however any delay to the progression of the DCMS policy team on the UK digital ecosystem is disappointing none the less.

The DMCS (Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport)

The Department for Digital, Media, Culture, and Sport (DCMS) is a government department in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for policy and regulations related to digital technology, media, culture, and sport in the country. The department was created in 2010 and is led by the Secretary of State for Digital, Media, Culture, and Sport, who is a member of the UK government’s cabinet. The DCMS has a range of responsibilities, including overseeing the work of public bodies such as Ofcom (the regulator for the communications industry in the UK), the BBC, and the Arts Council England. It also has a role in promoting the creative industries and supporting the development of digital infrastructure and services in the UK.