Government of Jersey taps Yoti for digital ID program

Apr 2, 2018, 4:21 pm EDT | Chris Burt

Categories Biometrics News | Government Services

Yoti has been selected by the government of the Channel Island of Jersey to provide a digital identity solution as part of the UK’s eGov initiative, the company has announced.

The Jersey Government issued a tender in August 2017 for a solution to enable island residents to prove their identity in person and online, without having to remember usernames and passwords or bring originals or photocopies of valuable identity documents with them. Citizens will be able to use Yoti’s free app to prove their age with their Apple and Android phone, and access government services online to file a tax return or register to vote. The app uses a selfie to verify an individual’s identity by comparison with a photo ID.

“A secure digital ID system is fundamental to providing integrated, online services and supporting the modernisation of Jersey’s public sector,” says Jersey’s Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst. “Yoti’s technology will enable islanders to prove who they are so they can safely access government services online. This will support the development of a more effective, efficient and responsive public sector.”

Yoti points out that its advanced hybrid encryption enables users to control who they share data with, and which data to share. Users receive a digital receipt when they share data, and their data cannot be tracked, mined, or sold to third parties.

“Jersey’s visionary choice of Yoti’s digital identity system will help its government bodies, businesses and citizens to get things done in a simple and secure way, with less risk of fraud – an issue which costs the global society billions every year,” says Robin Tombs, founder and CEO of Yoti. “Online identity based primarily on self asserted knowledge is vulnerable to widespread identity fraud. Fraudsters do not want to reveal their real identity, so over time, opportunity for identity fraud and fraudulent activity will fall; a huge benefit to society.”

Yoti recently demonstrated a proof of concept for a digital identity system using an asynchronous Hashgraph process to improve its suitability for certain identity and payment applications.