The UK government have drafted a framework of legislation regarding the use of digital identification which could dramatically speed up the conveyancing process.
The first draft of its trust framework is a set of standards and individual frameworks that providers and organisations such as commercial conveyancing solicitors must follow when using digital identity services.
The aim is to speed up many transactions which require proving one’s identity multiple times, such as applying for loans and mortgages, conveyancing, and buying age-restricted goods such as alcohol.
The framework has been somewhat open in nature and is less about mandating a particular type of digital ID, such as an identity card, but more about creating a set of standards from which multiple products can be created.
These can include user authentication services, which would verify someone’s age or specific required details without releasing all of your personal data.
For example, it could take the form of a phone app, with a scannable QR code which would verify someone’s identity and age easily without the need for a passport or driver’s license full of unnecessary information.
With regards to conveyancing, it allows for the potential for digital verification of a buyer’s and seller’s identity without the need to send notarised copies of documents to every party involved, from the building society to the estate agent to both teams of solicitors.
A digital ID would reduce this to one digital identity system which could be read and verified by all parties involved quickly, significantly speeding up the process.