Posted By: Laura CamplissonScotland's local government Improvement Service, has revealed there will be several upgrades made to the myaccount digital portal, through which citizens can access public services.As part of this process, the Scottish government will be partnering with Yoti – a digital identity platform – to pilot a smartphone app which will allow citizens to identify themselves online and in person, without the need for traditional printed credentials.The app will have a variety of uses for citizens and officials, from displaying date of birth for the purchase of age-restricted products to displaying eligibility and entitlements when applying for public services.It will give users greater control over their data, enabling them to provide only the information required for each situation and always with the user's consent.To sign-up to the app, citizens take a selfie on their smartphone which is matched to a scanned ID document. This information is then transformed into their unique digital identity, secured by 256-bit encryption.Sarah Gadsden, Scotland's Improvement Service's interim CEO, said she felt the changes were necessary in an era of increased smartphone ownership. "As technology evolves and mobile usage increases, we're committed to maximise the use of secure mobile and digital technology" she said, "Yoti will help us and our partners in the drive to transform essential public services."The planned changes mark this month's launch of the alpha phase of Scotland's Online Identity Assurance Programme. The Programme's board stated in May that while the myaccount service currently has a large potential number of users, it has low levels of assurance because it wasn't created to be a digital identity service.It is hoped the development of a digital identity app will alleviate this concern. Robin Tombs, Co-founder and CEO of Yoti said, "Verified digital identities will help transform local and national services in Scotland as businesses and public bodies have confidence individuals are who they say they are; creating more trust and transparency in the details shared."The Improvement Service has also partnered with Wallet Services, to test opportunities for the application of blockchain technology in delivering public services. Cloud solutions company Bright Solid also were granted a contract to migrate Scotland's services onto the cloud.
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