Ethiopia
The Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) has pledged to conclude issuance of digital identification to more than 1.1 million refugees within a year.
The initiative launched by the Refugees and Returnees Service, National ID Program, and UNHCR a month ago, aims to streamline government and private services for the refugees.
Refugees and Returnees Service, Deputy Director-General Biruhtesfa Mulugeta said the new refugee ID would allow refugees to access key services in Ethiopia.
The previous accessing services were obstructed by forged documents and a cumbersome paper-based system, it has been reported.
Global
Bitdefender has enhanced its Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection product, which monitors personal data in real-time by proactively scanning the internet including public sites, dark web, and underground forums for unauthorised leaks and data breaches that may put user accounts and identity at risk. The service now connects to Google Gmail and Microsoft Outlook webmail providers to expand monitoring reach and give users a more complete view and better control of their digital footprint (including old and forgotten accounts).
Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection monitors personal information and how it is used including email addresses, passwords, social security numbers (US), credit card numbers, phone numbers and other pieces of sensitive data useful to cybercriminals.
Nigeria
IDEMIA said it has renewed its commitment to Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) by implementing an upgrade of the entire biometric identification system, which will accommodate 250 million records. The project, supported by the World Bank through its ID4D initiative, aims to ensure that each citizen’s identity in the civil database remains unique.
United States / Europe
The United States and the European Union are continuing to work on making technical standards for digital identity compatible. Following a Trade and Technology Council (TTC) ministerial meeting in Leuven, Belgium last week, the two sides released a joint statement, detailing the progress that has been made and outlining future steps.
Biometric Update reported the next phase of the project will focus on identifying potential use cases for transatlantic interoperability and cooperation with a view toward enabling the cross-border use of digital identities and wallets.
According to the ministers, the cooperation mechanism, which seeks to align the US and EU on technology and trade policy, has led to tangible results over the past two years. Among them is the Digital Identity Mapping Exercise Report covering standards for electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions.
The two sides promised to continue information exchange on international standardisation through the Strategic Standardisation Information (SSI) mechanism.
Global
After hitting a three-year low in 2022, the average amount of time consumers spent resolving issues stemming from identity fraud skyrocketed in 2023 to nearly 10 hours. Additionally, the average out-of-pocket expenses (legal fees, postage, covering fraudulent debts not reimbursed by a financial institution or merchant) for victims also increased 70 percent in 2023, according to Javelin Strategy & Research’s Identity Fraud Study, Resolving the Shattered Identity Crisis.
Kenya
The Kenyan government is considering the implementation of a virtual identification system for its citizens, a move announced by the Information and Communication Technology Cabinet Secretary, Eliud Owalo. The initiative is part of a broader digital transformation strategy aimed at modernising identification processes, moving away from traditional physical ID cards to a more efficient, secure, and less cumbersome virtual system.
In a keynote address before the Senate Committee on ICT, Owalo highlighted the failure of the previous Huduma number initiative, attributing its lack of success to poor timing and insufficient public awareness. He stressed the importance of proper sensitisation for the new virtual ID system to ensure its acceptance among Kenyans, reported Mobile ID World.
United States
The US General Service Administration’s (GSA) Technology Transformation Services has announced major milestones for Login.gov, the single-sign-on platform for citizens to access government benefits and services online.
Over the next few months, Login.gov will:
- Pilot facial matching technology consistent with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Digital Identity Guidelines to achieve evidence-based remote identity verification at the IAL2 level
- Provide users with a visible, upfront option to verify their identity in-person at one of more than 18,000 local U.S. Postal Service locations (without the use of facial matching technology)
- Roll out a new pricing model for agency partners
Login.gov’s pilot will allow users to match a live selfie with the photo on a self-supplied form of photo ID, such as a driver’s license. Login.gov will not allow these images to be used for any purpose other than verifying identity. The pilot is slated to start in May with a handful of existing agency-partners who have expressed interest, with the pilot expanding to additional partners over the summer. GSA will simultaneously seek an independent third party assessment (Kantara) of IAL2 compliance, which GSA expects will be completed later this year.
In the coming weeks, Login.gov will expand in-person identity verification to be a visible, upfront option across nearly all partners for Login.gov users. This option leverages a partnership with over 18,000 participating US Postal Service retail locations – over 99 percent of the US population lives within 10 miles of a post office.
In recent years, Login.gov has grown to serve over 40 federal and state agencies. As a result, Login.gov active users reached a record of over 49 million active users in FY 2023.
Malta
Malta-based BNF Bank has launched its digital onboarding platform which intends to provide increased convenience, efficiency, and security.
BNF Bank introduced the customer digital onboarding platform in a bid to make the process more accessible and efficient. Now, new customers can open a BNF account using their smartphones or tablets and a Maltese ID or residence card, without being required to visit one of the bank’s branches.
Global
Decentralised digital identity orchestration provider IdRamp has partnered with Clear to offer Sign In With Clear, a biometric reusable identity authentication service with a variety of use cases, according to an announcement.
The service can be deployed without code and integrated with existing services. The offering can perform phone verification, document verification to assure authenticity, or credential verification to confirm military or employment status. It can also be used with supplementary database checks. It supports Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) through face biometrics for entities who must meet high security standards.
United States
US-based customer engagement, billing, and payments company Everyware has announced the launch of its Identity Verification Solutions suite aimed at mitigating payment fraud.
Everyware introduced its Identity Verification Solutions suite developed to mitigate the increasing payment fraud, while also improving the overall customer experience. The suite includes Identity Match and ID Document Verification tools and is set to provide security measures for businesses to integrate into their digital transactions.
