The UK Government has launched a national consultation over its controversial digital ID plans, in the hope of encouraging “discussion and debate” on how the system could be used to make essential public services quicker, easier and more secure.

The eight-week online consultation seeks public views on how digital ID should work in the UK, with the government asking core questions of the public, including when people should receive one, what data it should hold, and which public services should roll it out first.

The government said that it will also establish a People’s Panel on digital ID, a forum designed for in-depth discussions between people of diverse backgrounds on the potential implications of the service.

Alongside the consultation, the government also said a working prototype of the digital ID system will be revealed shortly, designed to show how a single app could streamline identity checks and eliminate the need for multiple accounts and physical documents.

“Supermarkets, banks and shops have all chosen to move their services online because it delivers a better customer experience and value for money, and other countries like Estonia fully digitised public services years ago. We need to catch up,” said Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Prime Minister.

“We’re launching a public consultation to let you have your say about how we use digital ID to make public services work for you. We want to build a system that works for everyone. Now is your chance.”

Touting the potential savings of digital IDs marks a sharp reversal for the government, which originally pitched the scheme as a tool to target illegal workers, before being forced into a U-turn after facing high levels of public opposition. 

A recent survey from Ipsos found that 40% of the UK public are not in favour of national digital IDs, compared to 32% in support, with most Britons concerned about the impact on privacy, intrusion on civil liberties and, most notably, a significant lack of trust in government to roll out the system smoothly.

“A national digital ID is a multi-billion pound scheme that no-one voted for and that it’s quite possible no-one will use,” said Jasleen Chaggar, senior legal and policy officer for Big Brother Watch.

“A citizen’s assembly should not be used to manufacture legitimacy for the government’s highly unpopular preordained agenda.”

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Elsewhere, questions are being raised about the security of a national database filled with the most personal details of millions of individuals. While the government contends the system will be built to the most rigorous standards and entail “nothing less than banking levels of security”, cyber experts warn that any centralised identity store presents an attractive target.  

“Digital ID is a nice idea in theory, but in practice will create a massive honeypot of personal data that will be relentlessly targeted by cyber criminals,” said Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point Software.

“These data sets are usually constructed using third-party providers, increasing risk and raising fears around consumer privacy. The public sector has a less than impressive record when it comes to data breaches, so any development must have rigorous rules and the highest grade cyber protection.”