OIX: Digital ID is in a ‘critical phase’ globally

In recent years, digital identity has incorporated technologies such as biometrics, blockchain and artificial intelligence while governments have kickstarted projects such as the European Union Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet. But while digital IDs have been growing their global footprint, the sector is still marked by uncertainty, according to industry players.

Although it is “one of the most exciting technologies in the world,” it is still progressing slower than many people would like, says Gareth Narinesingh, identity development director at the Open Identity Exchange (OIX), a trade organization focusing on the ID sector.

“We are in a critical phase for digital ID globally,” he says.

One of the issues is that the industry has been focusing on technology, products and biometrics. Institutional buyers, however, would like to know what problems digital ID can solve and how it can become a force for societal good, Narinesingh told Biometric Update in a recent interview.

“I don’t think we’re speaking in that language,” he adds.

Countries and regions have been pushing plans, policies and legislation on digital ID and setting up standards for interoperability. OIX sees its task as ensuring digital identity is a common language across the world and has recently made attempts to draw in the United Kingdom to work towards this goal.

At the end of July, the non-profit organization sent a letter to the UK government urging it to clarify how ID will work across the public and private sectors and take leadership on cross-border identity interoperability. The UK should coordinate with international work on using digital wallets across borders and support “open approaches and standards,” which could boost international trade, said the letter, addressed to Secretary of State Peter Kyle.

“The UK is a piece in the jigsaw and it’s a fairly unique piece,” says Narinesingh.

The UK’s uniqueness comes from its particular relationship with national ID schemes. Unlike its continental neighbors, the UK public has been generally opposed to the concept, citing fears of government overreach and surveillance. This has made the job of creating digital ID ecosystems much harder, he points out.

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The framework for trust

The digital identity sector will have to work on explaining digital IDs to both commercial and institutional service providers and to the public, which has been conflating the initiative with a compulsory national ID program. In the letter, OIX recommends that the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF) clarifies that digital IDs are not the same as a national ID or a database of IDs.

The organization, however, is also aware that without a national ID that can be digitized, the path toward realizing digital identity will be more complicated.

“We have to go about it in a slightly longer way and that, in itself, requires building trust,” says Narinesingh. “It’s fair to say that we are not there yet.”

OIX’s ultimate vision for the UK’s digital ID is a marriage of private businesses and public departments. One Login, a digital ID that allows Brits easier access to government services, could play a key role as a credential for the private sector.

The new cabinet led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, however, is still unclear about its plans to embrace digital IDs, despite calls from Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair and other lawmakers to introduce the technology.

OIX’s letter came at a time of “real disappointment” in the sector after the UK’s Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill was abandoned in May, says Narinesingh. But he still believes that the government is facing the right direction when it comes to the data protection legislation.

The industry group would also like to see the work on the DIATF carried out more quickly. The framework aims to create a secure and interoperable system for digital identity verification.

Among the complaints is a lack of clarity on providing more inclusive services for members of society who may not have access to driving licenses, passports and bank accounts. One idea that could solve the issue is identity vouching but the government has yet to explain how this should work.

The DIATF mandates that wallets or digital ID platforms must be private and secure. Narinesingh, however, points out that auditors should be scrutinizing companies certified by DIATF to ensure their systems are designed and deployed to be private. Qualified electronic signatures, based on sound digital ID proofing also deserve more attention.

“Digital identity is not an easy thing to understand, let alone progress, particularly in the UK, where there are reservations about identity,” he says. “So DIATF is an evolution, it’s on a journey.”