Editorial

Digital Identity: Global Roundup

Digital identity news from around the world.

Posted 6 January 2025 by Christine Horton


Morocco

The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) issued nearly 4.7 million electronic national identity cards in 2024.

The agency expanded its digital infrastructure, implementing the second phase of its electronic identity system through the Trusted Third Party Identity Verification platform. The initiative resulted in 17 framework agreements with key institutions, including Bank Al-Maghrib, professional banking groups, and healthcare providers.

More than 30 public and private institutions received authorisation to use the verification platform, integrating essential services such as criminal records, prison administration, and foreign trade.

Nigeria

The World Bank has extended its ID4D (Identification for Development) project in Nigeria through December 2026, with a new target of issuing 180 million National Identification Numbers (NINs). The extension follows a request from the Nigerian government in May 2024 and builds upon the country’s ongoing $83 million modernisation of its National Identity Management System (NIMS).

The ID4D project has already demonstrated progress, with more than 64 million Nigerian bank accounts now secured through biometric authentication.

The extended project carries total funding of $430 million, an increase from the initial World Bank commitment of $45.5 million. The continuation will facilitate broader citizen enrolment and NIN issuance, reports ID Tech. The system features multimodal biometric authentication, including fingerprint and facial recognition capabilities, supporting the country’s recent move toward contactless biometric capture for government services.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Belgian development agency Enabel has launched a tender for upgrading biometric and IT infrastructure at a partner institution in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The 18-month project, scheduled to begin February 17, 2025, encompasses computing systems and biometric equipment modernisation.

United Kingdom

A UK government advertising campaign promoting digital IDs for age verification has drawn criticism regarding its portrayal of individuals who prefer traditional physical identification methods.

The advertisement follows new legislation that will permit consumers to use their mobile phones as proof of age when purchasing alcoholic beverages, following amendments to the Licensing Act 2003 that enable digital identities and age assurance technology for alcohol purchases.

Critics have reportedly pointed to the advertisement’s tone, which they interpret as dismissive toward individuals who prefer conventional identification documents.

“Depicting anyone who prefers the old school ID as somehow stupid or bumbling is just insulting,” said Freya Leach from the Menzies Research Centre.

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Ministry of Interior says the number of unified digital identities issued through its electronic platform Absher has exceeded 28 million.

These identities enable users to access the Ministry’s services through its platforms: Absher Individuals, Absher Business, and Absher Government. Additionally, users can interact with more than 500 government and private entities via the unified national access portal, Nafath.

Vietnam

Vietnam has implemented new regulations requiring social media users to verify their accounts using mobile phone numbers or national identification numbers. The measure follows Vietnam’s broader push toward digital authentication, which included the certification of its national FaceID system for electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) verification.

Under the new regulations, users must authenticate their accounts using Vietnamese mobile phone numbers, with national identification numbers serving as an alternative for those without local phone numbers. Social media providers have been given 90 days to comply with these requirements, reflecting similar initiatives seen in other jurisdictions working to strengthen online identity verification, reports Mobile ID World.

United States

Digital identity verification and blockchain-based ticketing are helping stadium operators enhance the fan experience by letting them spend less time waiting in lines and more time at the event they came to see.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report, Novel ID Verification Technologies in Stadiums Can Change the Game Beyond Sports, notes that digital ID and barcode-based ID verification technologies like the MLB’s Go-Ahead Entry can reduce wait times when entering the stadium by as much as 68 percent.

United States

Illinois has enacted new legislation aimed at modernising digital identification and strengthening privacy protections through two key measures: House Bill 4592 for mobile identification cards and the proposed Artificial Intelligence Systems Use in Health Insurance Act. The digital ID initiative follows similar successful implementations in states like West Virginia and Arizona.

United States

authID has become a member of the Accountable Digital Identity Association (ADIA), an open industry association created to drive the development of a standardised, interoperable framework for decentralised identity services to ensure the authenticity of, and to establish trust in, reusable digital identities.

ADIA promotes a uniform specification for creating and managing portable digital identities, allowing users to leverage a single set of credentials to access multiple online services. This protocol is already being adopted by a number of large organisations.

South Korea

South Korea is launching a trial programme for a mobile ID card system that will allow residents to store and use their national identification cards on smartphones. The initiative will be tested across nine regions nationwide as part of the country’s efforts to modernise identification processes, building on the success of KakaoBank’s digital certificate service which has attracted more than 15 million users since its launch.

United States

Google Wallet has expanded its digital identification capabilities to support driver’s licenses and state IDs in select US states. The service is currently available in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and New Mexico, following a similar rollout by Apple Wallet which now supports digital IDs in 10 US regions.

Users with Android devices running Android 9 or higher can add their digital IDs through the Google Wallet app. The procedure requires users to scan their physical licence and follow verification steps established by their state’s issuing agency. The system follows the ISO/IEC 18013-5 standard for mobile driver’s licences, ensuring compatibility and security across different platforms and jurisdictions.

Australia

Australia is implementing a nationwide digital ID system where individuals can apply for passports, mobile phones, and bank accounts using a digital identity established with trusted providers. The infrastructure includes measures to prevent scammers from creating false accounts using stolen or counterfeit identification documents, incorporating advanced biometric verification methods that have been successfully tested by major Australian financial institutions.

St Kitts and Nevis

St Kitts and Nevis’s new electronic identification (eID) system will be equipped with technology from Idemia. The Caribbean dual-island nation has promised to launch the system by the end of 2025.

The project will allow the country’s residents to identify themselves digitally and physically with an ID card through the Digital Identity Authentication System. Aside from Idemia’s security chip, the cards will be manufactured with a suite of data encryption and security features such as dot pattern printing, according to Public Infrastructure Minister Konris Maynard.

St Kitts and Nevis’ Ministry of Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT) is collaborating with Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) on building the digital ID infrastructure.

Netherlands

Amsterdam-based Ver.iD, a SaaS platform specialising in digital identity verification, has secured €2 million in an angel round of funding.

The company plans to launch a €4 million funding round to support its European expansion. The recent funding comes from a group of prominent angel investors.

Ethiopia

The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has implemented a new requirement mandating all banks in Addis Ababa to use the Fayda digital ID system when opening new bank accounts. The requirement requires customers to provide their Fayda number as part of the account opening process.

The system aims to streamline identity verification processes, reduce paperwork, and accelerate account-opening procedures. The implementation works in conjunction with Ethiopia’s recently launched Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which provides enhanced security for digital transactions and identity verification. Banks throughout Addis Ababa are advising customers to obtain their Fayda digital ID to prevent delays in banking services.

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