You're not correct in saying nobody knows. This has been in discussion for several years, and the standard is outlined in detail on the government website [1], and also discussed in a blog [2].
But I fully agree if you mean it hasn't been adequately explained to the public [3].
Can you spell it out further from that document? There's only one mention of zero-knowledge proofs in there, mentioning it as one thing that could be used in verification. The rest of the document is similarly simultaneously dense and vague, so it's really not obvious to me that the actual implementation will be cryptographically privacy-preserving.
I assume you mean the framework guidance. Bear in mind this is intended for Digital Verification Services. Cryptographic standards are referred to under 16.5. Zero Knowledge Proofs are a broader concept and better explained elsewhere, for instance
There's a full section of the government website dedicated to this subject, and also a recent act of parliament which in part prepared legislation for it, the Data Use and Access Act 2025 [1]. See my other answer in this thread for the links.
The Digital ID scheme isn't new. The only change is from it being optional to mandatory.
Thanks for the link - I was aware the government was preparing voluntary ID. I meant the zero proof element specifically as this is the first time I have heard mention of it.
Is it? Nobody knows if it’s going to be an app, or a virtual card, or a real card. So speculation and rumours are flying.
Whoever does comms for the government must be asleep.