John Swinney reveals plans for a digital proof of age app

The Scottish Government has revealed plans to develop a digital proof of age and public services app to transform Scotland into a “digital-first nation”.

The app, which is scheduled for launch in 2026, will allow users to access a range of public services through a single portal. It will initially provide alerts on weather and travel disruption, followed by digital proof of age, with further functionality expanded over time.    

“Digital technology is already growing our economy and transforming lives for the better,” said First Minister John Swinney. “Scotland is ready to enter a new phase of digital innovation and become a digital-first nation.”

The government is working with Netcompany to develop the system. Netcompany is a Danish firm that provided the national Digital Post system for Denmark.

Earlier this week the Scottish Government launched an updated National Digital Strategy in an effort to transform Scotland’s digital landscape. The strategy sets out new plans intended to create a digitally connected country, including the delivery of digital public services.

“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,” said Swinney. “Innovation will help make public services more efficient, resilient and accessible – while ensuring privacy and security.”

Users in Denmark log into the Digital Post system using their digital IDs. They are then able to see a wide range of official communications, including hospital appointments, pension statements, tax notices and educational support information. It also allows users to interact with public services by paying bills and booking appointments through one portal. The Scottish system could look to mirror these functions in time, as the platform will be built using the same system that was used in Denmark.

In 2023 the Scottish Government launched the Scot Account system, which allows users to use one account to sign in to a variety of public services and verify their personal information. It is unclear whether the newly launched app will integrate with the Scot Account system.

The Scot Account system has faced pushback from MSPs, who have accused the Scottish Government of trying to introduce digital IDs through the system. Just last month Swinney voiced his disapproval of a proposed digital ID scheme by the Labour government, calling the idea an “infringement” on people’s rights.

“Our engagement here in Scotland has been all about how this system can become the glue that's going to help government work more coherently together,” Thomas Rysgaard Christiansen, a partner at Netcompany, told Holyrood. “But also, how it can create a system where the public has one point of interaction with the government instead of many different options.”

The Digital Post system has been so successful in Denmark that the national postal service, PostNord, is scheduled to stop its traditional letter delivery service at the end of 2025, shifting its focus to parcel delivery due to a significant drop in physical letters being posted.

“In many ways it is an infrastructure that will enable government to digitise more end-to-end processes,” said Christiansen. “Because we know in the future, there will be a need, both from a cost standpoint, but also from a demographic standpoint, to become better at delivering these services with less than what we do today.”

The system could face opposition from those who worry about digital exclusion and rural connectivity. Just last week the Scottish Affairs Committee in Westminster launched an inquiry into how digital connectivity can be improved across rural and remote parts of Scotland.  

This problem is particularly pronounced in rural areas, where only 42 per cent of Scotland’s residential properties have access to full-fibre broadband, compared to the UK rural average of 52 per cent. Mobile phone connectivity has also experienced challenges. In Scotland, 11 per cent of the country has no access to a 4G connection, more than double the UK average of five per cent.

“I think we will see certain services like this that will be launched and used by citizens that primarily will have good access,” said Christiansen. “But very quickly it'll become evident that we need this to be supported across our entire ecosystem. I see this project almost also as a catalyst for some of these other things that will be coming, because, of course, this has to be useful for all citizens.”