Taiwan
Taiwan’s government has pulled out of a $171 million digital identity (eID) card trial in Hsinchu City, due to information security concerns.
Originally due to launch in July 2021, the card system was designed to fuse current Taiwanese identity cards, with Citizen Digital Certificates, meaning government services would be accessible online, reports Taiwan News.
The digital ID also incorporates the National Health Insurance card and driving licence information, as well as having access to government databases, however only some personal information will be readily available. Only medical staff and pharmacists will be allowed to write data onto the eID’s.
The distribution of the cards will be suspended until new legislation is able to safeguard privacy and protect information from potential cyberattacks.
A workshop at Taiwan’s Risk Society and Policy Research Center found that many participants do not agree with Taiwan’s data collection regime, including the lack of transparency around data regulation, according to the News Lens. In November 2020, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR) led a lawsuit filed by 50 professionals, against Taiwan’s Ministry of Interior (MOI), demanding stronger data protection for the eID roll out.
Nigeria
Nigeria‘s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given assurances that citizens do not need the national identification number (NIN) to register on the biometric voter roll.
According to daily newspaper This Day, the electoral body is also working to lay the groundwork for the imminent acquisition and roll out of the INEC Voter Enrollment Device (IVED), a system that will facilitate more voter access to polling stations through digital ID.
A statement issued by INEC’s national commissioner in charge of voter education, information and publicity, Festus Okoye, said possession of the national digital ID is not one of the constitutional requirements for a Nigerian to be eligible for voter registration.
Canada
ATB Ventures, the research and development arm of financial institution ATB Financial, has said it will support work into digital identity advancements and removing bias from artificial intelligence (AI) applications like biometrics.
One technology developed by ATB Ventures is the ATB Turing Box, which provides a machine-learning framework for removing bias from AI, and has already been implemented by ATB Financial.
Oliu, a self-sovereign identity (SSI) platform, has also been developed by ATB Ventures to support digital ID for healthcare, finance, government and consumer applications.
ATB Financial is a member of the Digital Identification and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC), which launched the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework to set standards for digital ID in the country last year.
India
On the occasion of National Voters’ Day, the Election Commission of India (ECI) rolled out its digital voter identity cards e-EPIC on January 25.
According to the official statement, users will be able to download the digital version of the elector photo identity cards on their mobile phone or in a self-printable form on the computer from the Voter Helpline mobile app or the official website.
Canada
The eID-Me digital identity mobile app has launched in Alberta, Manitoba and Nunavut with support for driver’s licences, photo ID cards and passports. The app can be used as a secure-local backup of ID information on users’ smartphones.
eID-Me is developed by Ottawa-based Bluink, and first launched in Ontario with a $1.2 million grant from Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development. The app also launched in Quebec, British Columbia and Saskatchewan last year.
Switzerland
Switzerland’s parliament approved a special law regarding digital identity. Through the ballot box,
A Swiss law defining the principles for an eID, a system to ensure secure access to online services and to carry out electronic transactions, has been challenged to a nationwide vote over data security concerns.
Under the law, the Swiss government’s role is limited to making available the necessary data. The legislation approved by parliament in 2019 leaves its mainly up to private companies (as well as cantonal or municipal authorities) to issue eIDs and act as so-called identity providers (IdP).
To prevent abuses, an independent panel has been set up to certify and oversee those private companies.
New Zealand
Idemia has partnered with Orbis Diagnostics, an immunity-detection technology provider based in New Zealand, to support research and development into quantitative immunity testing combined with its digital ID technology at its Canberra Innovation Lab.
Orbis Diagnostics brings its platform, while Idemia brings its border risk management, passenger flow facilitation and digital identity expertise. Passenger flow facilitation is enabled by touchless biometrics like facial recognition.
The immunity screening platform will likely be introduced at airports in Australia and New Zealand as early as mid-2021, according to the announcement, before rolling out across the Asia-Pacific region.
Australia launched a system for border checks with technology from Idemia and Unisys last year.
United States
Anti-money laundering (AML) and ID fraud specialist SmartSearch U.S. is launching enhanced protection for businesses, in light of the latest AML legislation to pass through Congress on January 1.
The company says its digital fraud checks with data referencing and triangulation will give firms the confidence that they are compliant with the new raft of AML regulation, as well as protecting against potential fraud.
