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THE NHS app is collecting and storing facial verification data under a contract with a company linked to Tory donors, it emerged today.
The contract, awarded to iProov by NHS Digital in 2019, has yet to be published on government websites due to “security concerns.”
More than 10 million people are now using the app after it was adapted to act as a Covid-19 passport.
It asks users for video facial verification by default, although it is possible to opt out.
The facial data is then sent to iProov, which compares it with anonymised photo IDs held by the government.
An NHS spokesperson confirmed that law enforcement bodies are able to submit requests for data, which are then reviewed by a special panel.
Both iProov and NHS Digital claimed that all information held is anonymised.
Private equity group JRJ, which counts two Tory benefactors among its three partners, has a seat on the iProov board, having previously invested in the firm.
Big Brother Watch’s Jake Hurfurt said the group was deeply concerned about the revelations, particularly given the involvement of private interests.
The app is separate from the NHS Covid-19 app, which is used for contact tracing.
