Taiwan
Taiwan is looking to launch the Taiwan Digital Identity Wallet (TW DIW) by the end of year as part of efforts to strengthen the government’s digital services and better protect personal information, according to Minister of Digital Affairs Lin Yi-jing.
Lin said the TW DIW will allow users to disclose their identities in limited occasions initially, including at shops where store employees will only have to scan the QR codes of the digital wallets on the users’ smartphones before they pick up their packages ordered online.
Currently, when a consumer shows their physical ID to a store clerk, the information on the card will be disclosed, including parents’ names or registered addresses but Lin said the digital identity will allow the ID holder to disclose selective information, if necessary, which is expected to better protect personal privacy.
The TW DIW will reportedly allow users to securely store their digital credentials, such as citizen digital certificates, National Health Insurance (NHI) cards, and driver’s licences, so that they will only need mobile phones to verify various credentials swiftly to simplify procedures for services such as ticket collections, prescription pick-ups, and telecom service registration.
Global
Entrust and Mastercard have announced a new partnership to tackle identity fraud. It will work by integrating Mastercard Identity insights (powered by Ekata) into the Entrust Identity Verification Security Platform. The firms say the collaboration strengthens fraud detection and prevention, reduces time and costs associated with manual intervention, and streamlines end-users’ digital onboarding experience.
Global
Enterprise identity security company SailPoint is expanding Identity University, its online learning platform, with new offerings, training, and an enhanced user experience.
First unveiled in 2017 and opened to the public in 2023, Identity University allows security professionals to explore role-based training paths, track their learning progress, and earn certifications and badges to demonstrate expertise and advance their careers.
New features include hands-on labs designed to provide learners with practical experience in a live-tenant environment. These labs cover essential setup and administration topics, along with extensibility capabilities for SailPoint Identity Security Cloud. New training offerings in Identity University include courses and exams targeting administrators and engineers, helping learners keep pace with the evolving identity security landscape. Administrators can learn to build an access model in Identity Security Cloud and perform key troubleshooting activities. Engineers will learn to configure and extend identity security connectors, with the ability to take an advanced-level expert knowledge credential exam.
United States / Canada
A survey of more than 3,000 U.S. and Canadian citizens shows strong support for modernised driver and identity services, including mobile driver’s licences/digital IDs, self-service kiosks and online portals.
The survey by Thales identified that 80 percent of Baby Boomers (ages 65+) indicated they have used or would use an online portal to access driver services, compared to 56 percent of Gen Z respondents (ages 18-24).
Trust and security remain critical, with nearly 70 percent preferring to receive digital IDs through official government channels, as opposed to mobile wallet providers.
The survey uncovered that 65 percent of respondents are interested in obtaining mobile driver’s licences and digital IDs. Additionally, nearly 70 percent said they would prefer to obtain an mDL or digital ID through an official government channel, such as a state-sponsored wallet, rather than through a mobile wallet provider. Interest and adoption are expected to grow as more US states and Canadian provinces launch mDL programs and the US Transportation Security Administration expands the use of mDL readers at airport security checkpoints.
Canada
Accenture has acquired IAMConcepts, a privately held Canadian company specialising in identity and access management (IAM) services. The acquisition will bolster Accenture’s ability to deliver IAM solutions in Canada across critical infrastructure industries such as financial services, power utilities, mining and transportation.
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, IAMConcepts provides end-to-end IAM services, including Identity Governance and Administration, Privileged Access Management and Customer Identity and Access Management. The company serves some of Canada’s largest banks, along with insurance companies, higher education and critical infrastructure organisations.
United Kingdom / Ireland
Docusign has expanded its partnership with Onfido, a government-certified Digital Verification Services (DVS), to deliver digital identity verification for UK and Irish nationals as part of Right to Work checks.
The joint solution enables HR teams to automate UK Right to Work checks online, reducing manual tasks like data entry, improving audit trails and speeding up onboarding. As part of the Docusign IAM platform, HR teams can send candidates a secure link via a pre-built Maestro workflow template, with the digital identity verification, powered by Onfido, integrated within the experience.
For non-UK and Irish citizens with a Share Code, the new Workflow also enables them to input their previously generated Share Code into a Docusign Web Form, letting businesses extract the code and verify it using the appropriate GOV.UK website. Candidates without a Share Code are pointed to the appropriate GOV.UK website to generate one and can return to the UK Right to Work session once ready.
United Kingdom
Eighty-five percent of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) would be willing to pay for a Digital Company ID service, according to research commissioned by the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT).
The polling, conducted in partnership with research firm Opinium, canvassed the views of 1,000 decision-makers at UK businesses with fewer than 250 employees. Their responses also showed that the larger the business, the more open it was to paying for a Digital Company ID.
Respondents ranked improved fraud detection, simplification of regulatory compliance and easier account onboarding as the key areas in which potential efficiencies and savings would justify the expense. Half those surveyed said Digital Company ID would lead to more secure payments and avoid payment scams. Just under 60 percent thought it would help reduce the time taken to submit company accounts, complete tax returns or apply for a license or permit for compliance purposes. And 65 percent thought it would save money when opening a bank account.
Global
Visa and TECH5, a provider of biometric and digital identity management technologies, are teaming up to support the development and deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) solutions globally.
The agreement spans an initial term of seven years.
The two companies will work together to integrate Visa’s digital payment capabilities with TECH5’s identity management, biometric, and trust infrastructure solutions. The collaboration will also explore the deployment of identity wallets with embedded payment functionalities, designed to enable secure, interoperable, and scalable digital ecosystems.
South Africa
The South African government is working out a plan for the introduction of a single digital ID system that will streamline access to services in government and the private sector.
Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi told state broadcaster SABC that the single digital ID is part of a roadmap launched in May to drive the country’s digital transformation and digital government efforts.
He said it aims to harmonise the currently siloed digital ID system and centralize access to public services using the Mzansi mobile application.
United Arab Emirates
The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and Dubai Digital Authority have revealed that more than 15,000 services are now being provided through the UAE’s Digital ID, offered by over 350 entities – including more than 140 from the private sector.
The unified digital ecosystem, which connects federal government services with more than 180 government entities and several private-sector institutions, has enabled the completion of more than 2.6 billion digital transactions and 600 million login operations.
