back to article Verizon, Experian and pals bag £25m to inspect Brits' identities for UK gov

The first private companies to win UK government contracts to verify Brits' identities online have been named. And PayPal is absent from the list despite being in the running for a slice of the £25m pot of public cash. Credit agency Experian, the Post Office, Brit upstart Mydex, Verizon and crypto biz Digidentity have now …

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  1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Gimp

    "pleased.." "developed an IDa solution that can be implemented without new legislation. "

    I''ll just bet they are.

    Given what a clustf**k the ID cards bill was.

    Tony Blair is long gone but his infection is as virulent as ever.

    "will enable people to assert their identity online safely and securely"

    It is a "service" the government (IE a bunch of senior civil servants and the occasional gong hunting Minster) demand

    it will be neither safe nor secure.

  2. Pascal Monett Silver badge
    Trollface

    PayPal refused ?

    I don't get it. Wouldn't an NSA-backed ID service be a Good Thing (TM) ?

    1. Don Jefe

      Re: PayPal refused ?

      If PayPal backed out that means the program is so systemically fucked that even they won't mess with it. That's bad, because PayPal is really good at systemically broken things, they should have been all over it.

  3. despairing citizen
    Stop

    An ID card by any other name

    will smell just as crap

    Any centralised ID system is inherrently at risk of insider breaches, as the quantity and value of personal data held in a single location make it profitable for crooks, terrorists, et al to get somebody on the inside, either by plant, or by blackmail and bribery.

    Given the number of police officers charged for selling PNC, etc. data to NewsCorp has previously demonstrated.

  4. David Hicks

    This sounds distressingly like ID cards

    By stealth, and in the hands of private companies.

    Not good.

  5. Version 1.0 Silver badge

    Announcing a new contest

    El Reg should announce a prize for the first person to securely ID their dog.

  6. Irongut

    So what are they going to do when I refuse to identify myself to Experian? I have no desire to sell my soul to them or any of their pals.

    1. Rukario
      Unhappy

      Do you have a mortgage? A loan? A credit card? A mobile phone?

      If so, then Experian et al already own your soul.

  7. h3

    Post Office

    Looks like I will use the Post Office for that then. Only one that I trust in any way shape or form.

  8. h3

    Surely the passport place would be the obvious place to do anything like this.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Just the sheer mention of Experian . . . .

    I could go on about how terrible Experian is (from experience) but I'll let the rest of the internet do it for me: http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews103312.html

    Don't expect them to be any better at this....

  10. Pat 11

    Before you slag them all off..

    MyDex are all about helping people to own and be gatekeepers to their personal data. Most Reg readers would like Mydex.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Before you slag them all off..

      Mydex are as bad as the rest of them, they'll be pimping your data as well, never fear. If it's a free service, you are the product.

    2. Frankee Llonnygog

      Re: Before you slag them all off..

      All Mydex does is replicate data stored elsewhere but with unproven security. There are also some 'interesting' links between Mydex, GDS and others in the ID crew - the estimable D Moss Esq has the details.

      As always though, the question when using any ID or authentication service is: who owns the risk? If the answer is unclear, then it's most likely you.

      The first fraud cases to come to court will no doubt clarify this

    3. D Moss Esq

      Re: Before you slag them all off..

      "MyDex are all about helping people to own and be gatekeepers to their personal data. Most Reg readers would like Mydex."

      Why do you say that?

      (Background, http://www.dmossesq.com/2012/11/identity-assurance-only-future-is.html)

      1. Pat 11

        Re: Before you slag them all off..

        Because I've met Will Heath and talked to him about it, and I'm a reasonable judge of character. I think he's well-motivated. I'd certainly rather trust him than Experian, G, Fb etc.

        1. Don Jefe

          Re: Before you slag them all off..

          So MyDex makes and stores another copy of sensitive data? Where I'm from we try to reduce the number of potential attack vectors, not actively create new ones. Maybe I've been doing it wrong all these years.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Post Office

    why does this entrant make me somewhat... skeptical / shiiiiiiiiit-nervous about trusting THEM with my details...

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Open Season For The Spooks

    I bet GCHQ and the like are rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of all that data for their eyes.

    1. Don Jefe

      Re: Open Season For The Spooks

      What? You think they haven't already got them?

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