Global
The WTO and WEF have published a report “encouraging the development of a global certification framework” for digital identity systems of persons and objects — both physical and digital.
According to the report, The Promise of TradeTech: Policy Approaches to Harness Trade Digitalization: “End-to-end trade digitalization requires a global approach to digital identities of natural and legal persons as well as of physical and digital objects sending or receiving electronic information to avoid creating digital identity silos.”
United States
United States President Joe Biden has been urged to consider putting in place a nationwide digital identity framework to help fight identity theft in the country.
In a letter spotted by GovInfoSecurity, addressed to Biden by identity security experts and posted to Twitter, the President has been urged to factor in four keys aspects in an upcoming Executive Order.
Biometric Update reports that apart from putting in place a federal digital identity framework, the other proposals include accelerating and further supporting the issuance of mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs), provision of direct assistance to victims of identity theft and the establishment of identity attribute validation services.
Drafters of the letter are groups including Better Identity Coalition, the Identity Theft Resource Center, the Electronic Transactions Association, the National Cyber Security Alliance, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center.
Nigeria
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has been called upon by Nigeria’s new data privacy authority to set higher standards for data protection and privacy as one of the ways of strengthening the country’s digital identity ecosystem.
The request was reportedly made by Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of the newly-created Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), during a working visit to the NIMC headquarters.
Olatunji said there cannot be a proper digital identity landscape without sufficient safeguards for data protection and privacy.
“There is nothing you would want to do in the digital economy without proper identity and you can’t achieve that without adequate privacy and protection of data,” he said in a statement.
United Kingdom
A London startup has raised £200,000 to bring its ‘digital identity citadel’ to customers.
Arbor Steel, developed with a £100,000 Innovate UK grant, provides a secure and efficient way to share personal data and interact with services whilst maintaining control.
Priced at less than a Spotify subscription, the product has now launched to market, starting with the customers of professional and financial services firms for either personal use or as a member of a charity, board or trust.
Founder and CEO Edward Goodchild – an entrepreneur, wealth advisor and trustee of the UK Cyber Security Council – said he established the business following years of client frustration when sharing personal information to verify their identity, often over insecure, unencrypted emails.
Users such as NEDs, governing bodies and charitable boards can manage workflows online or via mobile. The company said this also benefits the institutions that routinely require access to their client’s personal information – such as financial advisors, healthcare providers, accountants and lawyers – enabling fast onboarding in minutes.
India
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) may have to enhance security features on the Aadhaar card to prevent terrorists using the biometrics-backed ID document.
The need for the UIDAI to strengthen security features on the Aadhaar has arisen following the recent killing of two terrorists themselves involved in the killing of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers earlier this month, reports Biometric Update.
The police found that two Aadhaar cards recovered from the site had genuine numbers but the photos on them were superimposed, meaning there was a mismatch between the faces on the IDs and the numbers, as well as biometrics of the fake ID card holders.
According to the police, adding more security features to the Aadhaar is vital as several forged Aadhaar cards have been recovered in the past from hideouts of terror groups in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
