Germany
The German arm of Deloitte Consulting has announced a deal with decentralised identity (DiD) firm BOTLabs, the developer of the KILT Protocol, a public blockchain for verifiable credentials. Deloitte has integrated KILT’s blockchain technology into its know-your-customer (KYC) and know-your-business (KYB) processes.
The reusable credentials are for various compliance applications, including banking, decentralised finance (DeFi) and age verification, such as for purchasing alcohol.
Europe
The European Central Bank is inviting experts in identification and authentication to contribute to the development of rules for the digital euro.
A ‘workstream’ is being set up to establish identification and authentication requirements for the digital currency, with the goal of enabling best-in-class user experience and security. Impact assessments for various existing approaches to identification and authentication will also be carried out. The EU’s planned digital currency is expected to be stored in the EU Digital Identity Wallet, with support for peer-to-peer transactions.
Singapore
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has announced that starting in 2024, Singapore residents and visitors can clear immigration without their passports. Instead, they will use biometric technology from Idemia.
The ICA originally announced its new clearance concept (NCC) in 2019. In place of passports, travellers can use face biometrics checks and QR codes for vehicles or the new, contactless Automated Border Control System (ABCS) for passengers. Approximately 800 automated lanes will replace manual counters at checkpoints in the first quarter of 2024.
Cameroon
Hundreds of biometric visas have already been issued by different diplomatic services of Cameroon since the online application system went live on May 1, reports Biometric Update.
The country’s embassy in Belgium said it issued more than one hundred visas within two days after the system rolled out, according to information from the Foreign Ministry in Yaounde.
“Cameroon is writing a new page in its history. If things go on as planned, from May 1, applicants will be able to get their entry visa into Cameroon within a period of 72 hours upon submission of the online application,” said Foreign Minister Mbella Mbella.
India
Biometric Update also notes that Indian authorities are conducting a nationwide campaign to increase the efficiency of the country’s biometric identity scheme, Aadhaar, after reports of procedural issues, including errors in deactivating the Aadhaar numbers of deceased people.
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has launched a training campaign to update operators in charge of enrolling citizens into Aadhaar. The training is designed to ensure that operators are aware of the latest policies and procedures and cut down on errors during Aadhaar biometrics enrolment, updates and authentication processes.
Switzerland
Blockchain firm Concordium has launched mysome.id, a new social media profile verification tool that will enable users to verify their identities. Built on Concordium’s identity protocol, mysome.id is free to use, and allows for high levels of privacy, verifiability and transparency, said the company. Digital identities created through mysome.id are stored exclusively in a user’s wallet, not the traditional data storing methods used by Web2 technology companies.
United Kingdom
The government has said that its incoming One Login system will enable users to prove their identity in a wider variety of ways, with plans to review alternatives beyond the existing options of passports and driving licences, reports Public Technology.
According to Alex Burghart, the Cabinet Office minister responsible for supporting the work of GDS, officials will shortly begin evaluating and implementing new identity-checking methods. In answer to a written parliamentary question from Labour MP Alex Sobel about the possibility of supporting verification via the disabled person’s buss pass, the minister said that this will be among the possibilities that are considered.
“We recognise that not everyone has a passport or driving licence and therefore, over time, we will implement other ways for users to verify their identity when using GOV.UK One Login. This is to ensure as many people as possible can access the services they need online. This will involve reviewing options to use the disabled person’s bus pass in due course.”
Global
The global digital identity and security market size is estimated to grow by $42.07 billion from 2022 to 2027, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 17.51 percent during the forecast period.
North America is estimated to account for 38 percent of the global market growth during the forecast period. The US and Canada are the largest contributors to digital identity solutions revenue in the region owing to their strong economies.
An increase in digitisation with electronic ID cards (eID) and smart infrastructure initiatives is one of the key factors that drive the growth of the global digital identity and security market, said the report. It also noted that growing government initiatives that encourage the adoption of digital identity and security solutions is also a primary trend in the market.
Czech Republic
iProov is looking to extend its reach in the Czech Republic through a new partnership with Wultra, a cybersecurity firm serving the country’s banking sector. Wultra has embraced iProov’s selfie-based digital identity verification solution, which uses facial recognition to match an end user to their official ID.
Wultra will offer the solution to its clients, with one prominent bank – Raiffeisenbank – having already deployed it. The bank is a member of Austria-based Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), which operates across 14 countries in Eastern and Central Europe; it’s now using iProov’s solution to let customers remotely reactivate their bank accounts, with no need to visit a physical bank branch.
France
The French Catholic Church is tackling sexual abuse by the clergy by providing digital ID cards with scannable QR codes that will offer colour-coded background information – ranging from green to orange to red – on bishops, priests and deacons.
The French Bishop’s Conference (CEF) said the IDs will certify whether or not its holder is fit to perform a sermon or has the right to hear confession.
Germany
Veridos has launched a new digital ID solution for travel. VeriGO MobileTravel Assist enables users to transfer personal data from their electronic passport to their smartphone via an app, which afterwards can be used to register for travel, to apply for visas or to provide personal information to healthcare applications.
With the app, users can read personal data from the chip of their ePassport via NFC (near field communication), store it on their smartphone and transfer it to websites, apps and readers used by public authorities, tour operators or airports. Special wallet functions enable the management and transfer of multiple passport data sets, such as those of family members, in one go. The company said the solution meets governmental requirements for handling personal information, as the data is completely protected by the app. It stores sensitive information in a dedicated space and establishes secure connections to the target systems for their transfer.
