Editorial

Digital Identity: Global Roundup

Digital identity news from around the world

Posted 25 October 2021 by Christine Horton


Belgium

The federal government wants to create an online wallet for all people living in Belgium which would bundle all official documents, from visas to marriage certificates, to simplify administrative processes.

All necessary information would be available on one digital platform, according to State Secretary for Digitalisation Mathieu Michel, who has put aside a €50 million budget for the initiative.

“Ordinary people should not bear the consequences of the complexity of our government, and as a government, we must ensure that it is easy for citizens to orientate themselves within these structures. The digital wallet will help in simplifying this,” Michel’s spokesperson Koen Peumans told The Brussels Times.

Peumans stressed that this switch to digitalise administrative processes and adopting the online wallet would not become mandatory, it would simply be an option for all people in Belgium.

“We have to take into account the digital divide that is still present, meaning those people who find it difficult to do things online can still communicate with the relevant authorities in the traditional way,” he said.

Argentina

A hacker has reportedly has stolen the government digital ID information for every citizen in Argentina.

While the government initially denied an attack took place, editors at the tech news publisher The Record say a new Twitter account for @AnibalLeaks posted the ID information for 44 Argentinian celebrities. The government confirmed the breach days later, but denied that the national ID database had been compromised, suggesting only a VPN account belonging to the Ministry of Health had been hacked.

Biometric data in the form of government photos are among the information that has been stolen. Also among the compromised data are home addresses, birth dates, Trámite (social security) numbers and citizen numbers.

The publication goes further, saying that its editors have spoken with someone who is charging all comers for access to the entire 45 million-ID National Registry of Persons, or Renaper.

Malaysia

Malaysia’s Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has revealed plans to implement a digital identity system in the country are underway, with biometric digital ID system expected to be in place by 2024, The Star reports.

The new digital ID, the Cabinet member added, will help bring the security of physical ID document Mykad online, as it will be based on fingerprint, face and iris biometrics.

“The Digital ID will be a form of digital identification and authentication for individuals by using the latest biometric technology such as fingerprints, facial and iris recognition while conducting matters online. This digital authentication is essential to avoid identity fraud,” said the Minister.

“The Home Ministry and National Registration Department (NRD) have been entrusted to lead the implementation of this initiative as the population data, information and records are under the custody and jurisdiction of the NRD,” Hamzah added.

According to the Minister, the new digital ID to be rolled out, will not replace the Mykad ID which is currently used as a tool of official identification.

Kenya

Kenyan civil servants are being urged to complete biometric registration for the country’s National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to make it easier for them to access its services, as per Biometric Update.

An NHIF official was speaking at a forum for civil servants held at a hotel, where he encouraged county governments to have their employees enroll in the biometric system to reduce the cost of healthcare. Registration of all eligible people for Kenya’s Universal Health Care scheme was also advised.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has committed to providing universal access to free healthcare by the end of 2022.

Kenya’s government has doubled the financial penalty for those caught attempting fraud against the NHIF. The fine for impersonating enrolled beneficiaries could now reach Sh1 million (approximately US$9,000), in addition to a possible two-year jail term.

New Zealand

The government of New Zealand has drafted an initial Digital identity Services Trust Framework Bill, and is now sending that bill to the Economic Development, Science, and Innovation Committee for further review. The Committee will also be soliciting comments from the general public.

According to the Digital Economy and Communications Minister, a comprehensive digital ID programme will help kickstart New Zealand’s digital economy and make it easier for citizens to access various public and private services. For example, people would be able to use their digital IDs to sign up for a bank account, or to access wage subsidies from the government. In that regard, the Minister argued that the digital ID could serve as a root of trust that makes people more willing to engage in digital transactions.

The Trust Framework Bill would establish rules for the secure storage and use of personal information. New Zealand is hoping that the Bill will give people more control over their personal information, and let them know what private companies are and are not allowed to do with that data when they enter into an arrangement. Businesses, meanwhile, would be able to get accredited, in which case they would be able to use an official trust mark to advertise the fact that they are compliant with any relevant data privacy regulations.

Serbia

Irish former banker Ken King and a co-founder have invested over €1m in a Serbian software engineering outsourcing firm that will target the telecom and financial services industries in the UK and Ireland.

London-based Navan Digital will specialise in digital identity, digital transformation and blockchain-based technology. From 30 recruits initially, the firm plans to grow to a workforce of 300. It will raise further funding for expansion as necessary, reports the Irish Independent.

The firm has acquired OutsourceCentral, a Serbian firm with a strong track record in providing remote development teams to an international client base from Belgrade and Novi Sad. The amount paid for the acquisition was not disclosed, but it is understood it currently has a balance sheet of over €1m to fund its initial growth.