The government has been urged by civil society organisations to ensure a rollout of digital ID does not discriminate against ethnic minorities.

Careful Industries, Open Rights Group and Amnesty International have jointly warned that digital identification technology poses serious concerns to people of colour.

The groups claimed that government plans for digital IDs “lack transparency” and could “deepen social divisions” and “amplify discrimination against people of colour”.

Rachel Coldicutt, executive director of Careful Industries said: “Rebuilding public trust must be placed at the centre of digital government activities, and we urge this Government to lead on building a stronger digital society.”

Careful Industries claimed the government has so far spent around £700m on digital ID tools.

According to a poll from Survation, 60% of black respondents and two-thirds of Asian respondents had fears that digital ID technology would negatively impact civil liberties.

One of the primary fears identified concerns the linking of ethnic data to people’s digital footprint.

Sara Alsherif, migrant digital justice programme manager at Open Rights Group said this “could be used to create indirect discriminatory outcomes” through “the tracking of migrants and other vulnerable people across various government services”.

“This could result in individuals being deliberately denied services or benefits, or even facing the threat of prosecution,” Alsherif added.

The British government has been working on guidance for implementing digital IDs as an alternative to traditional identification systems.

Startups with varying degrees of government approval for digital ID products include Yoti, TrustID and OneID

Listen: Podcast: The challenge of identity in the digital age – Robin Tombs, CEO, Yoti