Denmark's deepfake remedy, Bhutan's government hackathon, and the UK's new Gov.UK app

Edition #123 The UK finally takes a mobile-first approach, while elsewhere Europe's digital sovereignty efforts continue at a canter...

In our previous roundup, our focus was on developments in ASEAN’s digital government ecosystem. A shared declaration on ASEAN’s digital state in 2045 had just been signed, while Indonesia and Hong Kong were both thinking about cross-border digital payments.

This week, we are thinking about prompt engineering in government. An interview with Singapore’s GovTech Agency highlights their efforts at upskilling civil servants across government in prompt engineering, now considered a vital skill, while elsewhere UK civil servant Ben Welby has written a long read about his experiences of vibe coding in government.

Our main stories this week:

• UK government launches GOV.UK digital services app for smartphones

• German state leaves Microsoft Teams for digital sovereignty

• Denmark to tackle deepfakes by giving people copyright to their own features

As a reminder, we have recently begun to expand our digital government coverage away from just Substack and onto Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram. For original content, audience engagement, and roundups of all our pieces, feel free to follow us over on those channels. Also check out our sister newsletter, interweave.africa.

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UK government launches GOV.UK digital services app for smartphones - Jack Aldane, Global Government Fintech

The launch of the GOV.UK app marks a significant shift in the UK government’s approach to digital services, with a view to making them more accessible and personalized through a mobile-first platform that could pave the way for broader digital identity adoption.

• The GOV.UK app, released in public beta, allows users to access and personalize a range of government services - such as benefits, healthcare, and travel - directly from their smartphones, reflecting a move towards an app-based experience similar to banking and retail.

• Future updates will add features like a generative AI chatbot (GOV.UK Chat), notifications for important deadlines, and digital document storage (GOV.UK Wallet), with the app designed to integrate with the One Login digital identity system.

• The app’s launch signals a gradual shift toward a digital identity ecosystem in the UK, though challenges remain around security, public trust, and the need for robust independent certification of ID providers.

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German state leaves Microsoft Teams for digital sovereignty - DigWatch

The German state of Schleswig-Holstein is uninstalling Microsoft products within its administration, opting for open-source alternatives such as LibreOffice and Linux.

• The transition will impact 60,000 public servants in less than three months, and the state will have to manage potential staff resistance. A similar effort in Munich was reversed in 2017, reportedly due to user dissatisfaction and integration challenges.

• This is part of a broader European effort to reduce dependence on dominant US tech platforms, a move echoed by the French city of Lyon.

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Denmark to tackle deepfakes by giving people copyright to their own features - Miranda Bryant, The Guardian

Denmark intends to roll out a new law that will allow people to copyright their own body, facial features and voice as a response to the proliferation of deepfakes across the internet.

• The rule, believed to be the first of its kind in Europe, will be implemented as an amendment to current Danish copyright law after finding general agreement across party lines.

• The change will give people in Denmark the ability to demand the removal of deepfake content on online platforms.

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GovTech News in Brief

Bhutan’s hackathon throws up 13 innovative solutions around decentralized ID - Si Ying Thian, GovInsider

Bhutan is a world leader in decentralized ID for government services, but has decided to continue innovating through a hackathon to crowdsource open-source solutions.

Philippines digital government super app integrates 1,000 services - Lu-Hai Liang, Biometric Update

The eGov PH app has now integrated more than 1,000 different government systems to streamline online government services, including national ID, health services, and social security.

South Korea pauses central bank digital currency project - DigWatch

The Bank of Korea has paused its Central Bank Digital Currency pilot due to high costs and a lack of a clear commercial plan. Instead, regulatory efforts are shifting towards the fast-tracking of won-based stablecoins, mirroring a global shift favoring stablecoins over state-backed digital currencies.

Uzbekistan rolls out Digital ID for domestic flights, expanding digital identity push - ID Tech Wire

Uzbekistan has introduced digital ID for domestic flights, with digital ID now carrying the same weight as physical documents.

Singapore’s GovTech prompt whisperer Nicole Lee on the art of convening with AI - Si Ying Thian, GovInsider

GovTech Singapore is driving efforts to support public service officers across government with prompt engineering skills – having recently concluded a whole-of-government prompt engineering contest involving 1,000 officers across 75 agencies.

Yemen travel gets a digital upgrade with e-Visa launch covering tourist and business visas - Travel and Tour World

Yemen has launched a new electronic visa (e-Visa) system allowing tourists and business travelers to apply online, marking a major modernization of its immigration process as it aims to restore international connectivity after years of conflict.

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The Theory Behind the Practice

The "BritCard" digital ID proposal is a good idea: why I've changed my mind on ID cards - James O’Malley, Odds and Ends of History

As the UK government mulls over the possibility of introducing a new digital ID system, James O’Malley makes the case for a proposal that is quickly stirring controversy in British tech circles.

Digital twins: boosting ROI of government infrastructure investments - Various Authors, McKinsey

Advancements in computing power have made it possible to create “digital twins” for large-scale, real-life projects, allowing for improved scenario modeling, with potential operational efficiency savings of 20-30%.

Vibe coding, fireworks and the mortar of government - Ben Welby

Building demos, prototypes, and ready-to-pilot products in a matter of minutes are all promises of natural language AI tools that are enabling “vibecoding”. UK civil servant Ben Welby reflects on his experiences vibecoding, and the challenges and opportunities that it reveals about the state of digital in government.

Public service a commitment in this age of uncertainty - James Yau, GovInsider

In an age of political uncertainty and technological transformation, the 2025 UN Public Service Forum in Samarkand emphasized the need for collaboration, creativity, and people-centered innovation.

Our Take: The forum also highlighted the need for governments to more urgently accelerate their digital transformation efforts across public services, highlighting success stories like Albania and Uzbekistan, and urging the adoption of AI, mobile, and cross-border technology solutions to bridge the digital divide.