The Scottish government has announced its intention to create a public services and digital proof of age application aimed at positioning Scotland as a digital-first nation, however critics believe this could lead to a Scottish version of a digital ID.
The Scottish government [1] is developing technical infrastructure aimed at facilitating innovations that link individuals with public services. This initiative is set to support the introduction of a new app in 2026 designed to enhance accessibility to personalized public services. The app is expected to start by offering alerts regarding weather and travel disruptions, followed by features such as digital proof of age, with plans for additional functionalities to be introduced in the future.
John Sweeny, [2] the Scottish First Minister said, “Digital technology is already growing our economy and transforming lives for the better. Scotland is ready to enter a new phase of digital innovation and become a digital-first nation. While the corporate world has led the way in making our lives easier through digital technology, my ambition is for digital delivery in the public sector to match the very best of the private sector, in a way that is inclusive for all. Innovation will help make public services more efficient, resilient and accessible while ensuring privacy and security.”
The Scottish government [3] is collaborating with Netcompany to develop the system. Netcompany is a Danish company that implemented the national Digital Post system in Denmark. Thomas Rysgaard Christiansen, [4] a Partner at Netcompany said, “By building the new digital communication infrastructure on our AMI platform, Scotland will benefit from proven technology and domain expertise already applied across Europe. Based on re-useable components tailored to local needs, the platform ensures both speed and security in delivery. This approach accelerates Scotland’s digital journey and demonstrates both the scalability and adaptability of our solution to meet varying country-specific needs. This is a significant opportunity to help nations digitalise their critical infrastructure and create real value for citizens.”
The system may encounter resistance from individuals concerned about digital exclusion and connectivity issues in rural areas. Recently, [5] the Scottish Affairs Committee in Westminster initiated an inquiry focused on enhancing digital connectivity in the rural and remote regions of Scotland. Patricia Ferguson, [6] the Chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee, “In today’s world, most aspects of life rely on fast and reliable broadband and mobile connection, with key services increasingly being offered online. A good internet connection is vital, but Scotland’s digital connectivity continues to lag behind other countries in Britain. Scots in rural and island areas are particularly affected by this, as infrastructure delivery is complex and costly, It's crucial that broadband in Scotland can improve to reach further into remote areas of the country, to help local communities access the vital services and help drive their local economies forward.”
The Scottish Liberal Democrats believes [7] the government’s new age verification app could mean the introduction of digital IDs in Scotland, Alex Cole-Hamilton, [8] the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader said, “The SNP loudly declared their opposition to the UK government’s Digital ID scheme, so it is very interesting that they seem to be ushering in a scheme of their own. Liberal Democrats have a long and proud history of defending civil liberties against government overreach, from the SNP's super ID database to Labour's Digital ID cards. We'll be drilling down into these latest plans.”
The Danish government [9] introduced a Digital Post system in 2007, which facilitated virtual communication between public services and citizens. This system became mandatory for all public services and businesses in 2014, effectively removing the necessity for physical letter delivery in the country. In Denmark, citizens access the Digital Post system through their digital IDs.
In 2023, [10] the Scottish government introduced the Scot Account system, which has been met with [11] criticism from Big Brother Watch who warns the legislation could become mandatory in future and have accused the government of utilizing the system to implement digital IDs. Madeleine Stone, the [12] Legal and Policy Officer at Big Brother Watch said, “Digital identity systems are a honeypot for criminals and hackers. These plans could give the Scottish government free rein to build huge population wide-datasets and to share the personal information of millions of users between government departments. We urgently need a legal right to non-digital ID, otherwise such schemes could become a mandatory ID system in all but name, disadvantaging the millions of people in this country who rely on physical documents and letters, and cannot or choose not to use digital identity systems.”