Malaysia
Malaysia’s National Digital Identity (IDN) development project will be fast-tracked as part of an initiative to boost the digital transformation in the public sector, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said that when it is in place, the IDN would serve as a secure, trusted digital information platform to obtain confirmed information.
“It will also ensure that online transactions are carried out in a digital environment that is safe and flexible,” he said.
Finland
Finland has launched the first EU digital ID travel route with UK and Croatia. Passengers flying from Helsinki to Croatia and the UK can now show a digital ID instead of an ID card or passport.
Finland’s pilot of digital travel credentials began August 28, allowing passengers on Finnair to London, Edinburgh and Manchester to pass through border control using their phone.
Croatia is also participating in the pilot at the border checkpoints of Zagreb International Airport this autumn.
The project is limited to border control at Helsinki’s Vantaa Airport. Passengers will need to download an app, register with the police using their passports and take a selfie.
United States
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has put out a call for industry expertise and technology products that will help support the agency’s Accelerate Adoption of Digital Identities on Mobile Devices project – which has the ultimate aim of creating a digital identification equivalent for use on mobile devices than can replace physical ID cards.
The notice released on August 29 looks to address some of the “challenges identified” in the initial steps of the project which NIST launched in March.
“NIST is soliciting responses from all sources of relevant security capabilities to enter into [a] National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to provide technical expertise and products” for the project, states the agency’s notice.
Ethiopia
Madras Security Printers Private Limited has been chosen by Ethiopia’s government to produce one million cards for the country’s digital ID project with a $300,000 bid.
More than 1.4 million Ethiopians have registered so far for the national digital ID, Fayda. The country’s population is 120 million, and the government is aiming for universal registration of adults by 2025.
Madras Security Printers will deliver pre-personalised cards, under the contract which the government began accepting bids for in June. The cards will include biometric data for authentication to access a range of public services, and also perform identity verification for onboarding to new bank accounts.
The company was also recently selected to provide digital ID cards for Sri Lanka’s national identity system. That selection prompted data privacy concerns, and the process drew accusations of favouritism towards certain vendors, reports Biometric Update.
Australia
Australia’s government has opted out of imposing a mandatory age verification regime for online pornography and other adult content, citing the immaturity of current technology options. The government will instead rely on forthcoming online safety codes.
United Kingdom
UK provider of bank-verified digital identification services, OneID, has secured £1 million in new funding from ACF Investors.
OneID was founded in 2020 to enable more UK citizens to have a safe and smooth digital experience by enabling banks to provide an ID service for customers.
OneID eliminates the need for physical identification documents, enabling businesses and individuals to prove their identity instantly and anywhere digitally. It requires no registration process, does not store any personal data, and removes the need for scanning passports or taking selfies to authenticate your identity online.
United States
Onfido company Airside Mobile, a specialist in private, digital identity sharing technology, has partnered with Alaska Airlines to launch Mobile Verify, a digital verification service that allows Alaska Airlines passengers to remotely verify their identities to bypass airport check-in queues before international flights.
Available immediately, US and Canadian passport holders using the Airside app will no longer need to present a physical copy of their passport to an airline agent for verification. Instead, travellers can complete the process remotely prior to arrival at the airport.