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National digital identity systems

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Many nations have implemented, are implementing, or have proposed nationwide digital identity systems.

Although many facets of digital identity are universal owing in part to the ubiquity of the Internet, some regional variations exist due to specific laws, practices and government services that are in place. For example, digital identy can use services that validate driving licences, passports and other physical documents online to help improve the quality of a digital identity. Also, strict policies against money laundering mean that some services, such as money transfers need a stricter level of validation of digital identity.

Digital identity in the national sense can mean a combination of single sign on, and/or validation of assertions by trusted authorities (generally the government).

General characteristics

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Potential benefits of a national digital identity system include:[1]

  • More convenience
  • Less costs
  • Greater access to services
  • More privacy and security

However, a national digital identity system reduces anonymity and puts people at risk of data breaches.[2][3] They may also be prone to human rights abuses.[3]

Asia

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China

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China's Resident Identity Card cross references to other services (banking, Internet service providers, etc.) and thus acts as a digital identity system.[citation needed]

India

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An example of an Aadhaar card
An example of an Aadhaar card

In India, the Aadhaar card is used as a digital ID service, mainly for government institutions.[4]

Iran

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The Iranian identity card is ubiquitous.[5]

Singapore

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Singapore's SingPass is being extended to National Digital Identity for government services, though the intent is to extend it to private institutions.[citation needed] The corporate login version is called CorpPass.[citation needed]

Europe

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European Union

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On June 3, 2021, the European Commission proposed a framework for a European Digital Identity. It is planned to be available to citizens, residents, and business within the EU. Though it should be suitable for online and offline private and public services, it can be used by participants for personal identification or to provide confirmation about specific personal information. Benefits included are the EU wide recognition of every digital identity card, a secure way on how to control the amount of data and information the user wants to share with the services as well as the simple operation via digital wallets using several mobile devices.[6][7]

Estonia

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An example of an Estonian identity card from 2021

The Estonian identity card can be used by governments and some third parties for authentication.[citation needed]

Finland

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One of the earliest digital ID cards were issued in Finland in December 1999 to Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen.[8]

Germany

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There is an online ID card available in Germany. Users can identify themselves securely on the internet, at vending machines or several citizen terminals. Thereby business and authority matters can be easily worked out electronically to save time, cost and money.[9] In the framework of a competition called "Schaufenster Sichere Digitale Identitäten", the German Federal Ministry of economy and energy created a project, called "IDunion". This project was launched on April 1, 2021, and aims to create the opportunity for inhabitants to get easier access to education, mobility, e-government, industry, health care and much more.[10]

Italy

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The Sistema Pubblico di Identità Digitale (SPID) can be used as a digital ID for public and private institutions.[11]

Monaco

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Since June 2021, Monaco citizens and residents can get digital IDs for public institutions and for access to telecom or electricity services.[citation needed]

Ukraine

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Ukraine introduced online ID cards in April 2020, and fully legalized the use of online ID documents on August 23, 2021.[12] Ukrainian citizens can use an app called "Diia" for identification purposes.[13] Every user will be able to choose whether to use the paper documents or digital ones as for authorities will not be able to demand paper documents from citizens if they have digital ones. Digital identity can be used not only for provision of public and government services but also to receive deliveries, confirm age in supermarkets and open new bank accounts.[12]

United Kingdom

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The United Kingdom's system GOV.UK Verify went live on 24 May 2016.[14][15] In 2022, the UK government announced that GOV.UK Verify would be closing down, becoming unusable by April 2023.[16][needs update]

The system provides a single login for digital government services which verifies the user's identity in 15 minutes.[17] It allowed users to choose one of several identity verification services, and provided access to 22 digital government services.[18]

Australia

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In Australia, MyGov/MyGovID and Australia Post DigitaliD provide a means of single sign on. MyGov only supports government agencies[citation needed], whereas Australia Post's DigitaliD solution supports private institutions.[citation needed]

Caribbean

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In the Caribbean represent particular challenges due to the region's geographies, political context, social inequalities and cultural diversity. In the case of Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, Digital ID national systems have been particularly illustrious of pressing issues such as the reinforcement of discriminatory biases and severe limitations to the right to privacy. Regardless of claims over these issues by civil society organisations and social movements, policies have progressed in both countries.[citation needed]

Jamaica

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Dominican Republic

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United States

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Although no ubiquitous digital identity service exists, U.S. Social Security numbers act as a national identity number and can be validated by authorized private institutions using the American government's Social Security Number Validation Service.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Scaria 2022, p. 2.
  2. ^ Access Now 2019, p. 5.
  3. ^ a b Solomon, Brett (28 September 2018). "Digital IDs Are More Dangerous Than You Think". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  4. ^ "On biometric IDs, India is a 'laboratory for the rest of the world'". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  5. ^ Jarrahi, | Javad (26 March 2021). "Iran unveils new e-government components as digital ID importance grows | Biometric Update". www.biometricupdate.com. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  6. ^ "European Digital Identity". European Commission - European Commission. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Press corner". European Commission - European Commission. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  8. ^ https://rm.coe.int/handbook-e-democracy/16809fda61
  9. ^ "Der Online-Ausweis". Bundesministerium des Innern, für Bau und Heimat (in German). Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  10. ^ Ehneß, Susanne (4 May 2021). "Die "Digitale Identität" löst den Ausweis ab". www.security-insider.de (in German). Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  11. ^ Rome, Wanted in (5 November 2021). "Italy's digital identity system: What is SPID and how do I get it?". Wanted in Rome. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine - Ministry of Digital Transformation: Ukraine is the first country in the world to fully legalize digital passports in smartphones". www.kmu.gov.ua. 30 March 2021. Archived from the original on 3 April 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  13. ^ Antoniuk, Daryna (30 March 2021). "Ukraine makes digital passports legally equivalent to ordinary ones | KyivPost - Ukraine's Global Voice". KyivPost. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  14. ^ Burton, Graene (25 May 2016). "Gov.UK Verify: Late, unnecessary and finally launching this week". www.computing.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  15. ^ Evenstad, Lia (19 May 2016). "Gov.uk Verify to go live 24 May 2016". Computer Weekly. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  16. ^ "GOV.UK Verify". GOV.UK. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  17. ^ Jee, Charlotte (24 May 2016). "UK government identity scheme GOV.UK Verify launched today: What is GOV.UK Verify? GOV.UK Verify explained". Computerworld. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  18. ^ Merrett, Neil (16 February 2017). "GOV.UK Verify, NHS numbers and the 25 million user challenge". Government Computing Network. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017.

Bibliography

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Further reading

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