HM Land Registry’s first Digital Identity
Standard is launched today (Friday 12 March). It
provides a step-by-step list of requirements for
conveyancers’ use of digital services to verify their
client’s identity securely and conveniently online.
The new standard is optional. However, it offers a ‘Safe
Harbour’ for those conveyancers who meet the requirements.
HM Land Registry would not seek recourse against
conveyancers who comply with the standard in the event
their client was not who they claimed to be.
This makes identity verification much more convenient as it
can be done at any time, without the need to meet
physically, for all clients whether residential or
commercial. It also provides enhanced security by requiring
the use of smartphones to extract encrypted information
contained within the chips of documents such as passports.
Mike Harlow, General Counsel, Deputy Chief Executive and
Deputy Chief Land Registrar, comments:
Proving your identity when buying or selling your
property can be a pain. But of course, it is essential to
the security of such high value transactions. This new
standard for digital biometric identity checking marks an
exciting milestone towards a truly digital conveyancing
process.
In a challenging year, we set up a cross-industry forum
to support our conveyancing colleagues. First, we brought
in electronic signatures to remove any need for paper in
conveyancing. Now through this same collaboration we are
able to bring a new digital identity standard to reduce
the risk of fraud and make transactions a more digital,
easier and faster experience.
The release of this standard marks another key step toward
the future of conveyancing. It provides a clear blueprint
for technology providers to develop a range of secure and
convenient options to support conveyancers better.
HM Land Registry will continue to develop and tailor the
standard by widening the scope to incorporate different
legal entities and to explore the availability of more
enhanced digital means of obtaining evidence to link the
party to the transaction with the particular property. The
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
(DCMS)
is currently developing an overarching ‘trust framework’
for digital identity use across the economy. HM Land
Registry will continue to work closely with DCMS
over the coming months to ensure alignment.
A more detailed overview of the responses to the draft
Digital Identity Standard, along with how we incorporated
these suggestions, can be found in the latest blog from
Robin Malpas and Abbie Purslow. The standard is
available on our new Practice guide 81:
encouraging the use of digital technology in identity
verification.
